Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE
by AltheUnderboss
Summary: Set 5 years after the JS Incident, everything seems peaceful until a series of events unravels the greatest threat TSAB have yet to face:the resurrection of the Tri-GOD! Join Nanoha, Fate and the rest of the gang as they meet new enemies and allies alike.
1. The Prolouge

Magical Lyrical Nanoha/FATE PLUS: The Tri-GOD Crisis

PROLOUGE:

5 years after the JS Incident, everything seems peaceful until a series of craters and unknown destruction with key TSAB command posts started rocking Mid-Childa. Nanoha and the rest of the gang face a new enemy that wants something from the captain of the Lightning Squad, Fate Testarossa Harlaown! New enemies and new allies get involved as Fate investigates and comes face to face with her true origins! This is a fanfic purely dedicated on FateXOC and Yuunoha pairings (and I'll come up with more pairings as the story progresses), so if you love NanoFate, then I would advice you not to read this; you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you want to read it as well, then be my guest.

(DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAGICAL LYRICAL GIRL NANOHA or any of its characters.)

* * *

TSAB Administrated World # 6

"There is no tracing of a Lost Logia, but to destroy all of our communications like this; it had to be the work of a magical entity. There is no explanation for this, Admiral Harlaown." Said a mage thru the communications link. Admiral Chrono Harlaown massaged his temples. "I see. I will wait for your report." He said as the monitor beeped and flashed off. He then turned around and saw Admiral Leti, frowning over a folder.

"This is most disturbing. A single crater left in what used to be the biggest communications outpost in Alzas. And now, there are reports in Mid-childa of strange energy readings that were felt in a few areas. What exactly is going on?" she muttered. Chrono Harlaown was lost in thought as he stood up.

"I think we may be dealing with something far worse than magic or Lost Logia." He finally said.

"Is that so? How can you be so sure?" Admiral Leti asked. Chrono turned back to his computer and started turning it on. He then started typing on the monitor screen:

* * *

**Time and Space Administration Bureau:**

**LOGGING IN…**

**Welcome: Admiral Chrono Harlaown...**

* * *

"Let's start taking things seriously." Chrono smirked as he started typing. Admiral Leti's eyes widened when she saw what was on the monitor:

* * *

**ACCESSING TSAB HIGH COUNCIL DATABASE….**

**RESTRICTED ACCESS: USER-NAME AND PASSWORD REQUIRED.**

**USER-NAME: -**

**PASSWORD: -**

**

* * *

**"What do you think are you doing?" Admiral Leti exclaimed but was silenced when Chrono signaled her to keep quiet. "You…you are accessing restricted database! The High Council will have you kicked off from the TSAB!" she fiercely whispered. Chrono simply ignored her as he started typing again. "This is for the user-name. As for the password…there!" he whispered. The screen blinked and then, a red logo of the TSAB appeared on the monitor.

* * *

**WELCOME TO THE SALVATION COUNCIL DATABASE**

**

* * *

****Tri-GOD PROJECT**

Status: **OPEN PENDING**

**

* * *

PROJECT FATE**

Status: **CLOSED**

* * *

**PRECIA TESTAROSSA/JEWEL SEEDS INCIDENT**

Status: **CLOSED**

* * *

**JAIL SCAGLIETTI INCIDENT**

Status: **CLOSED**

* * *

**SAINT CRADLE/SANKT KAISER**

Status: **CLOSED**

**

* * *

**

**What do you wish to learn?**

* * *

"Salvation…Council?" Chrono stammered. Admiral Leti just stared at the screen in shock. "You are so dead when the High Council learns about this!" she said.

Chrono just smirked. "Well, I have just about enough of their secrecy." As he looked at the monitor, he then chose the Tri-GOD PROJECT link. "This one is the only archive which is still open; maybe we can find some answers as to what is going on." He said while Admiral Leti grabbed a chair and watched. A few seconds later, the monitor flashed and blinked:

* * *

**Tri-GOD PROJECT**

**Accessing database...completed.**

**

* * *

DATABASE XII**

I have successfully informed EDEX about the alliance with TSAB. I believe that this path will determine the future of the Tri-GOD Project. Although, EDEX have mentioned its concern of letting the Tri-GOD roam free in the Non-Administrated World #50, TSAB have pledged to keep a watchful eye over it.

- Professor Hestelle Zecherov

* * *

**DATABASE XIV**

This is not possible…the Tri-GOD have gone berserk and has successfully destroyed the joint EDEX-TSAB Command Center! What were they thinking? Now TSAB and EDEX have scrambled all remaining forces in order to secure the Tri-GOD and this will likely disturb the balance we have had kept for so long!

- Professor Hestelle Zecherov

* * *

**DATABASE XXI**

Things are getting far out of hand. Tri-GOD has evolved into something that not even EDEX or TSAB could ever imagine. Non-Administrated World # 50 has been badly damaged, with craters of huge proportions destroying this once fertile and populous planet. My greatest concern would be Non-Administrated World # 97 since it is closest to # 50. We are assembling our last line of defense in the hopes of containing or destroying the Tri-GOD. If all else fails, then there is no hope for all of us. I only wish to have more time to complete my final work.

- Professor Hestelle Zecherov

* * *

**DATABASE XXII**

EDEX is gone; the Tri-GOD is now at its full potential and TSAB is on its own. This could be the end for us all. To my beloved sons; I wish for each of your own happiness. Find your path. Look for PR-J-C- -A-! S-e -10020384950388302842302

**DATABASE CORRUPTED**

**DATABASE CORRUPTED**

**DATABASE CORRUPTED**

**END OF DATABASE**

* * *

"Wait, this one's incomplete!" Chrono said as he looked at the monitor and the database. Admiral Leti shook her head. "Now I'm so confused. I have never heard of EDEX or its alliance with TSAB, nor did I hear about Non Administrated World # 50 or the Tri-GOD Project!"

"This could be the key as to what is happening right now." Chrono muttered as he stopped typing. "It mentioned something about huge craters; maybe this might be a good clue to help us find out what is happening recently." as he looked at the words on the monitor….

"Look for PR- "

(TO BE CONTINUED...)


	2. Part 1  The Start of Something New

**Recently, in Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha FATE...**

_"There is no tracing of a Lost Logia, but to destroy all of our communications like this; it had to be the work of a magical entity. There is no explanation for this, Admiral Harlaown." Said a mage thru the communications link."_

_

* * *

__**ACCESSING TSAB HIGH COUNCIL DATABASE….**_

_**RESTRICTED ACCESS: USER-NAME AND PASSWORD REQUIRED.**_

_**USER-NAME: -**_

_**PASSWORD: -**_

_**

* * *

**"What do you think are you doing?" Admiral Leti exclaimed but was silenced when Chrono signaled her to keep quiet. "You…you are accessing restricted database! The High Council will have you kicked off from the TSAB!" she fiercely whispered. Chrono simply ignored her as he started typing again. "This is for the user-name. As for the password…there!" he whispered. The screen blinked and then, a red logo of the TSAB appeared on the monitor._

_

* * *

_

_"Salvation…Council?" Chrono stammered. Admiral Leti just stared at the screen in shock. "You are so dead when the High Council learns about this!" she said._

_Chrono just smirked. "Well, I have just about enough of their secrecy." As he looked at the monitor, he then chose the Tri-GOD PROJECT link. "This one is the only archive which is still open; maybe we can find some answers as to what is going on." He said while Admiral Leti grabbed a chair and watched. A few seconds later, the monitor flashed and blinked:_

* * *

_**Tri-GOD PROJECT**_

_**Accessing database...completed.**_

_**

* * *

**_

_**DATABASE XXII**_

_EDEX is gone; the Tri-GOD is now at its full potential and TSAB is on its own. This could be the end for us all. To my beloved sons; I wish for each of your own happiness. Find your path. Look for PR-J-C- -A-! S-e -10020384950388302842302_

_**DATABASE CORRUPTED**_

_**DATABASE CORRUPTED**_

_**DATABASE CORRUPTED**_

_**END OF DATABASE**_

* * *

_"Wait, this one's incomplete!" Chrono said as he looked at the monitor and the database. Admiral Leti shook her head. "Now I'm so confused. I have never heard of EDEX or its alliance with TSAB, nor did I hear about Non Administrated World # 50 or the Tri-GOD Project!"_

_

* * *

_

**PART 1 – The Start of Something New**

**

* * *

TSAB Non-Administrated World # 97: Earth**

**Uminari City**

"Good morning Fate-chan! Time for get up!" Lindy said as she walked around the house wearing an apron. Back in her room, Fate Testarossa Harlaown woke up and yawned. She slowly opened the window and lazily looked outside. "It looks like it's going to be a good day…" she smiled. With a jump, she reached unto the other side of her bed and stood up. On the table beside her bed lay Bardiche.

"Good morning sir" the device greeted with its usual robotic tone.

"Good morning Bardiche." Fate smiled as she grabbed a towel, took off her night gown and went inside the bathroom. After a good one hour, Fate changed into her TSAB uniform and walked out from the room. She saw her mother, retired TSAB Admiral Lindy Harlaown, scrambling all over the place with apron in hand. "Do you need any help Mother?" she asked while her mom panted in the kitchen.

"No! I'm just fine! Your bento is right in the table, just go and pick it up." Lindy said as she glanced at the wall clock. "Oh no, I am late! "She yelled as she ran towards her room, running past Fate as she groaned in frustration. "There's Mother, always a busybody." She chuckled. She then went out from the house and sniffed the fresh morning air.

"Ohayo, Fate-chan!" exclaimed an old woman who was tending her garden.

"Ohayo!" Fate greeted cheerfully as she walked out from her house. She did not notice a hovering figure watching on her while standing on top of a lamp post.

"So this is Project Fate? Quite a beauty she turned out to be" said another figure that appeared from behind. The hovering shadow removed its hood and it was a young man with black hair and an eye patch on his left eye.

"I need you to do a surveillance check around the area; make sure the Warlocks don't touch her." He said with a serious tone. The other figure transformed into a black flame. "Alright. I will be on surveillance. Do you need anything else Alexander?" as the young man jumped down from the lamp post into the ground. He took off his cape and he is actually wearing a black jacket and black cargo pants and shoes. Underneath his black jacket is a white shirt.

"I'm going to school; remember, you can't be seen by anyone while we are here in Uminari. And stop calling me Alexander. My nickname is Al. No sweets for you; Grandeur will scold me again if she found out." the young man said as he began walking away. "What a grouch! Can't I at least have some ice cream?" the flame figure said as it disappeared completely.

Al continued to walk until he passed by some children running around the playground when all of a sudden, he noticed a small pink ball bounce off the street. "Ah, the ball!" said a young girl who ran as fast as she could to get the ball, which landed on the road. Al then noticed a speeding car approaching the small girl holding the ball! He squinted and saw the driver talking to his cellular phone instead of watching the road.

"WATCH OUT!" a few people yelled. The driver saw the incident a bit too late and he tried to brake, making the vehicle swerve dangerously as the child helplessly stood in the middle of the road. A shadow suddenly swept past the child and the vehicle careened to the left and stopped! People began screaming as the driver went out in a hurry! "Oh my God! Where's the kid?" he yelled.

"Look, there he is!" one of the people said as Al carried the child in his arms. The driver ran towards him with a scared look. "Oh shit! She's not hurt, right! My insurance is going to kill me!" he yelled. Al looked at the child with a stoic expression. "Are you hurt?" he asked. The child looked at him and shook his head. "No, I am alright mister. Thank you for saving me!" the girl smiled. Al placed him down and then went near the driver. He snatched his cellular phone. "H…Hey!" the driver angrily yelled.

"Go back to driving class." As he crushed the driver's mobile phone with his bare hands! The driver's mouth dropped while the crowd gasped in disbelief. Al began walking away, much to the amazement of the crowd gathered there.

* * *

**Uminari City University**

"Ohayo Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan!" Arisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura said to their friends. Nanoha and Fate smiled. "Ohayo Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan!" Nanoha said. "Are you ready for the exams today?"

"Yes. We had an all-nighter with Hayate-chan. It was quite hard, but we got finished just before midnight." Suzuka said. Arisa sighed. "That is why I hate exams! Who knew college could be so difficult?" as she flopped on her chair. Fate just giggled. Just then, the other students started coming inside along with the teacher. "Alright class, please be seated. I'm sure you are all excited for the preliminary exams." The teacher smiled while most of the students groaned. Fate and Nanoha were seated side by side with Arisa and Suzuka at their back. "Before we start with our exams, I'd like all of you to meet a new classmate; he's from overseas, so I would like each and everyone to be extra nice to him." The teacher said. Arisa then shook Fate's shoulder. "Did you hear that? A new classmate and it's a guy and a foreigner to boot!" Fate gave an uneasy smile. "Now, now Arisa-chan! Fate-chan wants to remain as a single woman, so leave her alone." Suzuka chimed in. Fate pouted while Nanoha just giggled. "Nyahaha, stop teasing Fate-chan, you two. Just because she never had a boyfriend since high school doesn't mean she wants to remain single forever…" she trailed off while Fate frowned. "You're mean, Nanoha-chan!" The blonde said.

"Alright, settle down!" the teacher said as she eyed the four girls. From the entrance of the room came a young man wearing a black jacket with a white shirt underneath combined with black cargo pants and shoes. Fate suddenly felt a surge of unknown feeling when she saw the young man in front of them.

"My name is Alexander Lyoneid. 21 years old and I have just moved here in Uminari City. I live on my own and my parents are overseas. I have a pet dog named Anubis and I love history. Thank you." As the young man bowed down and remained standing in front with a serious look on his face. Fate began to feel uneasy when she stared into his eyes; the stranger noticed her looking at him and he also stared back at her. Nanoha, Arisa and Suzuka noticed this. "Hey, Fate-chan? Are you alright?" as Nanoha shook her friend. "Huh? What?" Fate said as if awakened from a trance.

"It seems Ms. Harlaown have taken quite an impression of you, Mr. Lyoneid…" the teacher jokingly said as the class started making noises. Fate blushed in embarrassment while Al just looked away, his face unchanging. "Excuse me, but where do I take my seat?" he asked. The teacher then began looking around and then saw an empty seat just behind Suzuka. "You can take the seat behind Ms. Tsukimura." She said as Al walked towards the empty seat. A groan from several girls was heard from the classroom as the young man walked towards his seat. Nanoha and Fate looked at each other. "He's quite the silent type; don't you agree Nanoha-chan?" Arisa whispered to Nanoha. Suzuka instead looked behind and then smiled at the new student. "Hello. My name is Suzuka Tsukimura. It's nice to meet you!" she said.

"Likewise." Al replied casually. He then saw Fate look at him again. "You have been staring at me for quite some time; is there something wrong with my face?" he asked directly. Fate was shocked with what he said and was not able to give a reply at once! Arisa, however, gave a naughty smile. "Hi! My name is Arisa Bannings and this is Nanoha Takamachi! And this beautiful blonde is Fate-"

"-Testarossa." Al suddenly cut her off. "I'm sorry, I meant Harlaown." He corrected himself quickly. Nanoha was taken aback when she heard him say Fate's old family name. "Why do you know Fate-chan's complete name?" she asked. Fate looked at Al in total disbelief. "Why does he know…who I am?" she thought. Al looked at Nanoha. "I just seem to know a lot of things; most especially you two, Fate T. Harlaown and Nanoha Takamachi."

Before Fate could continue, the teacher began passing the papers for the preliminary exams. The new student calmly received his test paper and looked at the board without any emotions in his eyes. Nanoha pulled Fate towards her. "I think he's not what he seems to be. I have a bad feeling about him." She said. Fate nodded. "I think so too. Don't you think he looks…menacing?"

Nanoha thought. "Well, his eye patch does look menacing enough; he looks like a villain from one of those action movies." She whispered, making Fate smile. "I think we need to investigate this but you do have something important to do after this, right?" the blonde whispered back.

"Oh, right! Vivio and Yuuno-kun and me are going to the Mid-childa Annual Fair tonight! Oh, I almost forgot!" Nanoha said in frustration. Fate just giggled as she remembered how her best friend had "progressed" when it comes to her personal life; while she has already retired from her duties as a TSAB officer, she has resumed her studies while her adopted daughter, Vivio, is looked after by Yuuno, her present boyfriend. After many years, the two have finally gotten together and rumors of the two tying the knot was always heard in the TSAB office, as to which Nanoha and Yuuno deny as they are still far too young. When she learned of it, she was very happy for the two but she also couldn't help but feel lonely, most especially when Nanoha and Yuuno would go out together with Vivio; she felt that she was going to remain single forever, as Arisa, Suzuka, and most especially Hayate would tease her all the time!

"Alright, good luck to all of you! The test will now start!" the teacher said.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in Mid-childa. TSAB High Command Headquarters**.

"We have detected an unknown signal occurring in Non-Administrated World #97 closing in fast within Uminari City." One of the communications officers said to Admiral Chrono Harlaown. The young admiral frowned as he looked at the monitor. "Is it just like the one in Administrated World #6?" he asked.

"We are scanning for more information. Stand by!" said another communications officer. The door opened and Chrono saw Hayate Yagami, Signum and Vita walk inside the room. "So, what did you need us for, Admiral Harlaown? Are you having problems with Amy-chan again?" Hayate grinned.

"Nothing that I can't handle, Hayate-chan. And this is an official TSAB business, so mind your manners." The admiral said as he sat down on his chair. Hayate just smiled. "What is this all about then?" she asked again as she sat down. Chrono handed her a folder. "Take a look at these. I'm sure this will get your attention at once." As Hayate took the folder and began reading it. "Craters in Administrated World #6 and a whole base…destroyed?" the brunette stammered in shock. "How did this happen? What caused such an explosion?" she asked immediately.

"That's the problem; we don't know. I thought you could give us a hand." Admiral Chrono said. Hayate showed the folder to Signum and Vita. Even the two Wolkenritter knights were stunned upon reading the report. "This much destruction…could it be a Lost Logia?" Signum asked.

"Possibly. But this much damage? The command base in that area is filled with high-ranking TSAB mages; there's no way that they could not have sensed a Lost Logia in that area." Hayate said.

"Admiral, we have confirmed that the energy reading approached Non-Administrated World #97 is the same with the reports of #6! Should I scramble all available forces in the area?"

"Negative. I will have the Enforcers investigate this." Chrono said. "Fate should be there; she and Teana Lanster will handle the investigations."

"Admiral, if you don't mind, Vita and I would like to request permission to join Officers Harlaown and Lanster for a reconnaissance mission." Signum said.

"Granted. As long as you two don't cause enough damage; remember, it's not like Mid-childa." The admiral reminded them. "Alright, we get it!" Vita said as the two knights walked away. Hayate looked at Chrono. "If this is the only thing that you wanted me to see, I take it you have other things in mind?" she asked. The admiral sighed as he took out another folder and then placed it on the table.

"Of course..." Admiral Harlaown said. "I was thinking of the reformation of Riot 6."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the sewers of Uminari City**

"He is here; the Demon Blade is here!" a small but hideous voice screeched from below. "He will ruin it; he will ruin everything! He will tell; he will ruin us all! Must kill him! Must destroy him!"

"Everything is according to plan. Be patient, my love…" another voice was heard, which was soothing and alluring. "Be patient and we will have our revenge!"

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED...)**


	3. Part 2  The Demon Blade

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

_"So this is Project Fate? Quite a beauty she turned out to be" said another figure that appeared from behind._

_

* * *

__"And this beautiful blonde is Fate-"_

_"-Testarossa." Al suddenly cut her off. "I'm sorry, I meant Harlaown." He corrected himself quickly. Nanoha was taken aback when she heard him say Fate's old family name._

_

* * *

_

_"We have detected an unknown signal occurring in Non-Administrated World #97 closing in fast within Uminari City."_

* * *

_"Negative. I will have the Enforcers investigate this." Chrono said. "Fate should be there; she and Teana Lanster will handle the investigations."_

_"Admiral, if you don't mind, Vita and I would like to request permission to join Officers Harlaown and Lanster for a reconnaissance mission." Signum said._

_

* * *

_

_"He is here; the Demon Blade is here!"_

* * *

**PART 2 – The Demon Blade**

**

* * *

****Midori-ya University, after class**

"I am exhausted!" Alisa Bannings yawned as she, together with Fate, Nanoha and Suzuka walked down the university campus hallway. There were a lot of students walking around since it was now the end of the class for the day. "Now that exams are finished, why don't we go out for karaoke?" Suzuka asked.

"Ah, sorry! I have to skip today, since I have something very important to attend to!" Nanoha said as she gave a low bow. Arisa and Suzuka both sighed. "Ever since you and Yuuno-kun have become a couple, you barely go out with us anymore!" Arisa pouted. Fate just giggled as Nanoha began bowing her head up and down in apology before Arisa and Suzuka when she noticed Al opening his locker and placing his books inside. The young man closed the locker and then walked away without a word. Fate looked at her friends, who were still talking, and then decided to follow the mysterious new student. She finally found him standing just beside a tall tree in the middle of the university campus ground. She silently looked on, observing him from a distance. "He is really quiet. Too quiet, to be exact." She thought. After her years of training as an Enforcer, she knew that something was quite odd about him. Suddenly, Bardiche began glowing from her pocket. "Sir, a call from TSAB Command is ongoing; shall I patch you through?" the device said. Fate inwardly cursed when she got distracted by her own device. She looked again to see if he was still there and Al was already gone.

"What? Where did he go?" she thought. Bardiche kept on blinking that Fate picked the device up. A small hologram appeared from the device. "Fate-san, Teana here! We were calling you for like half a minute ago! What are you up to?" Teana said.

"I'm sorry, I was busy checking someone out…er, I mean, I was busy checking for something!" Fate said hurriedly. Teana looked at her curiously. "Checking someone out? Who are you checking out? Is it someone I know?" the Enforcer asked. Fate just sighed. "Look, I will tell you later. What's the matter Teana?" she asked.

"Command wants us to investigate a series of unknown signals approaching Uminari City. The present location is within the shopping mall. I am transporting right now as we speak." Teana said. Fate nodded. "I will be there as fast as I could. My car isn't here, so I am going by cab." She said. "And don't forget; we can't transform unless we have cleared the area, you got that?" she said.

"Roger. Lanster out." Teana said as she cut off from the other end of the communicator. Fate walked back inside the campus to inform Nanoha about Teana's call. She didn't notice Al, who suddenly appeared from behind her. He stared at the back of the running blonde woman. "Master, master!" he heard a call as a black flame suddenly landed on the roof above him. "Anubis. I thought I told you not to appear here." Al said in an annoyed tone.

"But this is urgent!" as the black flame changed into a black wolf. The creature jumped from the roof and landed in front of Al. "I have sensed two…no, three Warlocks in the supermarket area! It seems they are starting their operation to cause trouble here on Earth!" the wolf said.

"Looks like it's all according to plan." Al said.

"By the way, I noticed Project FATE was observing you from behind. You must have made quite an impression." Anubis joked. Al just hit him in the head. "Stop making idiotic comments, you stupid old dog. Come on, I've heard that she's going there to stop the Warlocks. We have to make sure that she is safe from them."

"Sheesh, Project FATE is far more important than anything else, is it?" Anubis said as he flicked his tail.

"Of course. She is the reason why I was created in the first place." Al said. "Now come! "as he crouched and then jumped on top of the building like speeding shadow. Anubis shook his body as it transformed into a black flame and disappeared.

* * *

**Uminari City. MegaShopper's Mall. Department Store area.**

"Is everything alright on your end, Vita?" Signum asked as she walked around the place in civilian clothes. A communicator was in her left ear, letting her talk with her partner Vita, who was in the sports section of the mall. "No, I don't see anything odd here Signum. It's too quiet." The red haired girl said.

Signum looked around as she saw thousands of people walking and laughing and talking. "Let's do one more sweep until Fate and Teana arrives." She said. "Affirmative. I am on my way." was Vita's reply on the communicator. Signum stood near the escalator when she noticed three men wearing black business suit outfits complete with fedora hats and black leather shoes. The pink Belkan knight would have ignored them when she suddenly felt her device, Levatein, suddenly shaking uncontrollably when the same men passed beside her! Signum was surprised to see her device reacting that way.

"What's wrong Levatein?" she asked. The men wearing black formal suits looked at her direction and suddenly ran towards her! Signum was shocked when one of the men tried to launch a kick unto her face; she successfully evaded and rolled to the left! "Wait! What are you doing?" she yelled. The men did not answer as their left arms transformed into blades! The people who were there saw what happened and started screaming, running away from Signum and her attackers at once!

"Levatein, transform!" as she changed into her Barrier Jacket. She stood up and then parried the attack of one of the attackers. A second attacker tried to do a sliding kick to her left but Signum jumped and landed behind him; she lunged and tried a slash attack, but was stopped with a parry from a third attacker. She jumped and then began running away from her attackers. "This is Signum! I am being pursued by unidentified enemies! Leading them to the nearest parking lot to avoid civilian-!" she was cut off when she saw one of the attackers was now in front of her! The two others were behind her as well!

"What? How did they get here so soon?" she thought. The three rushed towards her and the fight ensued. This time, Signum was overwhelmed and got hit in the belly by a strong kick. The Belkan knight was thrown into the wall, breaking the display glass of a jewelry store. The three attackers looked at her curiously as Signum stood up again. "You will pay for that!" she hissed. Fortunately, a shot was heard from behind one of the attackers, exploding them away from the pink haired woman.

"Signum-san? Are you alright?" said Teana Lanster, who was already in her barrier jacket form. Signum nodded as she coughed. Vita and Fate appeared; both were also in their barrier forms as well. "It seems you were handling the situation quite well." Vita said with a grin.

"This is no time for jokes!" Signum exclaimed. "Watch out! Here they come!" The three mysterious attackers slowly got up and faced them again. Fate was surprised as she looked at them. "These were the ones who attacked you, Signum-san? They…they look like humans to me!"

"Look at their left arms!" Signum said as the three attackers transformed their left arms into blades again. Vita and Teana were shocked. "Whoa! What are they?" the sniper said in awe.

"No matter what they are, I am going to crush them all!" Vita yelled as she held Graf Eisen tight.

"WAIT! Don't engage them at once! They're far too skilled; even I had trouble fighting them!" Signum said. The three attackers began to rush towards them. "It's too late for that!" Teana said as she started firing at the attackers. One got hit and exploded while the other two attacked Vita and Fate. "Vita, you and Teana help Signum; I'll deal with this one outside!" as she flew outside the mall. One of the attackers dashed to follow her with incredible speed, surprising the blonde mage!

"What in the world are they?" she thought as she stopped and then fired lightning bolts at the attacker. "Photon Lancer!" Fate yelled. The attacker used its arm blade to disintegrate every lightning bolt that Fate shot at him. "No use. Might as well use melee attacks! Bardiche, Haken Form!" she yelled. Bardiche transformed into its Haken form.

"Haken Saber!" as a golden energy blade sliced the attacker in half through its torso! Fate backed away as it fell down on the ground, shaking violently. It began melting into a puddle of black liquid with a very foul smell! "Ewww! What's with the smell?" Fate said as she covered her nose. She then looked around. "Hello? Vita? Signum-san? Teana?" she asked through her communicator. "Does anyone copy? Teana? Signum-san? Vita?" she asked again as she turned her back. The puddle began boiling until it materialized into a shiny humanoid creature. It was taller than a human being, with razor-sharp claws and feet. It began to scream a deafening sound that stunned Fate T. Harlaown!

"Argh!" Fate cried as she felt lightning jolts around her body, paralyzing her instantly! Because of the tremendous pressure and pain, she fell on her knees and went back to her civilian clothes, with Bardiche falling down beside her. Fate lay on the ground in pain as she looked at the creature with wide eyes!

"Sir, energy capacity is only at 30% Restoration in 20 minutes…" Bardiche said.

"Bar…Bardi..che…" Fate stammered in pain. The creature slowly walked towards her with its left arm transforming into a grotesque blade! The blonde mage only stared as the creature opened what looked like an eye from its triangular head. "Project…FATE…" the creature hissed!

Fate's eyes widened. The creature gave a shriek as it raised its left arm when an object flew towards its left arm, slicing it on the process! The creature shrieked; this time, it was shaking as if in terrible pain! Fate used the opportunity to try and stand up but she failed. She could only sit on the ground as she saw the object that decapitated its blade arm fly back towards her! To her surprise, she saw a person walk in front of her; he was wearing a familiar black jacket, black cargo pants and shoes!

"Looks like I just made it in time." Al said as he caught what looked like long bladed boomerang with his right hand! Fate blinked in total astonishment; it was the strange student that she met earlier in the university. The young man opened his mobile phone. "Anubis? Any luck inside the mall?" he said. An explosion suddenly rocked the southern part of the mall as what looked like a tall black humanoid wolf jumped up in the air, carrying three people! It landed just behind Al. "Grah! There! Rescued these little kitties before those Warlocks could kill them off! They never stood a chance!" as it placed Vita, Teana and Signum on the ground. The three mages were unconscious; their barrier jackets were tattered and damaged.

"Teana! Signum-san! Vita!" Fate yelled! "What happened to them?"

"Relax! They were just stunned because of the Warlock's Magic Canceller. Same as you did, but you just got paralyzed." Anubis grinned. Fate looked at the humanoid wolf and then at Al; the man did not even move from his position nor did he look at her and her comrades!

"Who…who are you?" she asked.

"You already forgot? I am Alexander Lyoneid, your classmate. Remember?" Al simply said. The creature that lost its left blade arm has already recovered as its two comrades re-appeared; this time, they were now the same forms as the one who attacked Fate. Al frowned. "Three Warlocks, huh? Fine." As he walked towards the creatures slowly.

"Wait! What are you doing?" as Fate held Bardiche and tried to stand up, but she felt so weak! "Whoa! Easy there!" Anubis said. "Your body just received a powerful anti-magic spell; it should wear off within a good hour so please rest for awhile. "He smiled.

"But what about him? He's going to be killed!" Fate exclaimed, pointing at Al. Anubis stared at her and then laughed out loud. "I don't think that will happen. No Warlock has ever defeated the Demon Blade. And they never will."

"What? What are you talking about? Demon Blade? Warlocks?" Fate asked, confused. The dog creature reverted back into its natural wolf form. "You will see what I mean." The dog said.

Al looked at the creatures silently. The Warlocks also studied him closely, not making a move. "Abbadon, Somnus! Samael, Suscitatio!" (Abbadon, Sleep! Samael, Awaken!) he said. His long bladed boomerang suddenly blazed into a blackish, purplish flame! The flame burst and Al let it go; the flame began floating in the air, just in front of him. Al slowly grabbed the flame and it started burning violently in his hand! Fate gasped as the Warlocks shrieked and all three rushed to attack him with their bladed arms!

"Mucro….Vultus!" (Sword…Form!) Al said. The moment he finished saying those words, the flame erupted, engulfing the Warlocks and blowing them away from the young man! Anubis stepped in front of Fate and covered her and her friends with a round shield spell. Afterwards, Fate saw Al holding what looked like a sword; a broad, one-sided blade that looked ominous! The Warlocks got up as quickly as they can; shrieking in anger as Al thrust his sword to his left side and made a slashing motion to his right!

"Suscitatio Samael , Everto Mucro! (Awaken, Samael! Sword Demon!)" he yelled. The Warlocks attacked swiftly and Al parried their attacks with ease and grace. One of the Warlocks rushed to his left and tried a stabbing attack with its claws but Al saw it and skillfully made a circular side swing with his left arm, thus shielding his left body by hitting the Warlock's claw with the blunt side of the blade! The Warlock that tried to attack him stumbled backwards, giving Al the opportunity to strike back! He lunged and swung his demonic blade upwards, hitting the targeted creature's right claw upwards. Because of the opening, Al did a quick spin to the left and struck his sword down unto the creature's neck, creating a cut from the Warlock's neck up until its chest! The creature immediately dropped down, dead!

"Like I said before; they can never hope to defeat Alexander." Anubis said as he looked on while Al evaded the attacks of the two remaining Warlocks. Fate's eyes widened in surprise with what she saw in front of her. She looked at Bardiche. "Bardiche, please do an ability check and send a signal to command about our present situation." She said. "Yes sir. Scanning…" the device said. "Present device energy level is at 70%. Surrounding energy levels varied; unidentified signals confirmed. Signal sent to command sir."

"Unidentified? It isn't magic then? Or Lost Logia?" Fate said. Anubis looked at her. "No child. What you are seeing is a power far older than you can imagine; you are looking at the very source of technology that your Intelligent Devices and even your Lost Logia have come from."

"Would you be able to tell me everything then?" Fate asked. The wolf closed its eyes. "It is not my place to tell you. Be patient and my master will reveal everything to you. But for now, enjoy the show." As he looked at Al kill a second Warlock; the young man simply vanished before its eyes and then re-appeared behind the creature, decapitating its head with a very quick slash attack!

Fate looked at Al in disbelief. "What…What is he?" she thought in awe. "His fighting style is dizzying…brutal…he is like an ice-cold killer!" as she then looked at her hands. She noticed that she was still trembling. "My whole body still feels so weak. What kind of monsters are those creatures?" she asked. The wolf looked at her and then sat down on its hind legs. "They are known as Warlocks, lass; creatures that are created for one and one thing only; to devour magic. They are mindless monsters that are thought to have been imprisoned in an area that I do not wish to talk about. That is until a few days ago; someone or something has released them from their prison."

"Prison? You mean to say someone captured or bound these...these Warlocks? And who would try to release them?" Fate asked. Just then, Bardiche began glowing. "Incoming transmission from Command." the device said as it opened a hologram image of Shari. "Fate-san! We received your signal! What happened?" the girl asked with concern."No time to explain! Please send a medical team here right away! Signum-san, Teana and Vita are badly hurt!" Fate said.

"What? I...I see! I shall dispatch the Medical Unit right away!" Shari said. "Roger. Transmission out..." Fate said as the hologram disappeared. She then saw Al disable the last Warlock by stabbing the creature while it lay on the ground. Black liquid dissipated unto Al's clothes as the creature wailed in pain.

"Tell your master...that I will hunt them down and kill them. They will never get what they want!" Al whispered.

"De...mon...BLADE!" the Warlock gave a nightmarish shriek, causing Fate to cover her ears! The creature silently hung its limp arms and died finally. Alexander Lyoneid took out his demonic sword and stood up, breathing softly and still looking at the monster. "Finally, some peace and quiet." Anubis said. "It seems these guys are just some small fries; I wonder what those freaks were trying to do?"

Al did not reply as his sword disappeared into a black flame. He walked past Anubis and then knelt down before Fate. "Are you alright?" he asked. Fate nodded. "I am fine. But my friends need help!"Al looked at Signum-san first. He breathed softly and placed his index finger on her forehead. "Alica Effrego. (Spell Break.) " he said. A tiny flame sparked from the pink Belkan knight's forehead and she immediately opened her eyes. She started gasping for air and then coughed. "Signu,-san! You're awake!" Fate happily said. Signum panted as she sat up. "What...what happened to me?" she asked.

"Your friends are quite weak. A Warlock's Spell Canceller is but a small magical ability. They should have not been incapacitated." Al simply said as he used the same technique to wake up Teana and Vita. "W...WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Signum yelled as she tried to stand up but collapsed back unto her feet. Vita and Teana slowly sat up, coughing and panting weakly.

"You three lasses should be fine within an hour." Anubis said to Signum. "As for you, Project Fate, a word of warning; what happened today is not the end. Your world and this world are both in mortal danger. And only you have the key to save both Earth, Mid-childa, and the ones you love." as the wolf said to Fate.

"What do you mean? Mid-childa? Earth? In danger?" Fate asked in bewilderment. Al stood up and began walking away. "HEY! I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU!" Signum yelled angrily. "Take back what you said about me and my comrades being weak! A Belkan Knight...has her honor!" as she tried standing up but ultimately failed again. "Signum-san!" Fate said as she and Teana caught her.

"Honor without strength is weakness. Admit the fact that you are indeed weak. Just like what happened years ago. The TSAB abandons all those who places their hopes upon them. Your so-called "High Council" should know this." Al said in a cold voice. He then faced them and looked at Fate. "I will answer all of your questions later, Fate T. Harlaown. For now, rest while you can. I will be watching you." as he turned his back from them and disappeared like a shadow.

"Wait! What are you saying?"Fate asked. "I don't understand everything you're saying!"

"We shall meet again lass." Anubis said as the creature disappeared as well. The TSAB Medical Team finally arrived on the scene thru teleportation as Fate pondered hard as to what the two have said.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

Author's notes: Whew, I think it'll be a few days before I update this work of mine; not easy getting reference and all. Also, I would like to thank those who sent me messages about my work. Negative or positive as they may be, I will be glad to answer them and to correct any mistakes that I might do in the process of writing. But still, if you do not like the idea of a Yuunoha/FateXOC pairing, then please skip this work. Thanks!


	4. Part 3 Crisis in MidChilda

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

**

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**_"Sheesh, Project FATE is far more important than anything else, isn't it?"_**  
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_"Of course. She is the reason why I was created in the first place."_

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_"Command wants us to investigate a series of unknown signals approaching Uminari City. The present location is within the shopping mall. I am transporting right now as we speak."_

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_ Fate was surprised as she looked at them. "These were the ones who attacked you, Signum-san? They…they look like humans to me!"_

_"Look at their left arms!" Signum said as the three attackers transformed their left arms into blades again. Vita and Teana were shocked. "Whoa! What are they?" the sniper said in awe._

* * *

_"Unidentified? It isn't magic then? Or Lost Logia?" Fate said. Anubis looked at her. "No child. What you are seeing is a power far older than you can imagine; you are looking at the very source of technology that your Intelligent Devices and even your Lost Logia have come from."_

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_

_"Wait! What are you saying?"Fate asked. "I don't understand everything you're saying!"_

_"We shall meet again lass." Anubis said as the creature disappeared as well._

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_

**Part 3 – Crisis in Mid-Childa**

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**TSAB INFIRMARY, MID-CHILDA**

Nanoha Takamachi rushed inside the TSAB Infirmary, together with Vivio, her adoptive daughter, and Yuuno Scrya, her boyfriend. The pony-tailed brunette walked rather really fast as she went directly to the nurse's station while her blonde boyfriend and daughter followed her close. "Excuse me, which room is Captain Fate T. Harlaown assigned to?" Nanoha asked worriedly. The nurse looked at her and then gave a surprised look! "Oh, Captain Takamachi! I didn't notice it was you! Capt. Harlaown is in Room 45. Just take the elevator over to the right." The nurse kindly said. Nanoha immediately walked away, leaving Yuuno to thank the nurse. She immediately got inside the elevator, with Vivio and Yuuno barely making it in time to get inside!

"Nanoha-mama! You walk too fast!" said Vivio. "Sorry, sorry! I am just so worried about your Fate-mama!" Nanoha smiled. Yuuno didn't say anything, as he knew that despite her cheerful appearance today, Nanoha was terrified when she learned of what had happened to her best friend.

* * *

**FLASHBACK:**

"_Nanoha-mama! Can I have some cotton candy?" Vivio asked. "Okay. Here's some change. Make sure that you brush your teeth once we get back home, alright sweety?" Nanoha smiled as she gave Vivio some money. "Okay!" the blonde girl smiled as she accepted the change and quickly ran towards the cotton candy maker. Nanoha sat in a bench while enjoying the Mid-Childa Fair. She then spotted Yuuno walking towards her with a big pink teddy bear on his arm. "Looks like you've got your hands full, Yuuno-kun…" she giggled as the man sat down beside her._

"_Ah, well…you did want me to bring you a prize…so here it is." Yuuno smiled. Nanoha blushed when her boyfriend handed the stuffed toy to her. "You know, I'm pretty sure you would want something in return for this." She gave an all-knowing look at Yuuno. The blonde man just looked at her with a quizzical look. "Whatever do you mean, oh lovely Ace of the Training Corps. Nanoha Takamachi?" he joked. Nanoha just giggled. "Oh, you do know what I mean, Chief of the Infinite Library Yuuno Scrya…" as the two leaned in closer when Raising Heart began glowing. "My Master…incoming transmission from Subaru Nakajima of the Rescue Force." The device said. Yuuno just sighed as Nanoha looked at a hologram representation of Subaru. "Hello Subaru-chan, what's up?" she asked._

"_Uh, I am sorry to disturb your date with Yuuno-san, Nanoha-san, but something came up. Fate-san and Teana-chan have been found and sent to the Infirmary together with Signum-san and Vita-san. They were…badly wounded…"_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

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**

Nanoha opened the door of Room 45 and saw Fate together with her mother Lindy beside her bed. Erio and Caro, Fate's adoptive children, were also inside the room together with Hayate and Signum. "Ah, hello Nanoha-chan!" Hayate smiled. "It's so nice of you to drop by!"

"Fate-chan! Are you alright?" Nanoha immediately rushed towards Fate. The blonde was surprised to see her best friend close to tears. "I…I'm fine Nanoha-chan! No need to worry; just some minor wounds!" as Nanoha began to sniffle. "I didn't know that things were so dangerous. If only I have known, I would've joined you with Raising Heart!" the brunette said. Vivio entered the room with Yuuno beside her. "Yuuno-papa? Why is Nanoha-mama crying? Is she and Fate-mama fighting again?" she asked in a worried tone. "No, no! We are not fighting Vivio!" Fate smiled. "Nanoha-mama is just worried about Fate-mama. Ok?"

"Ok…" Vivio replied as she gave out a small yawn. Yuuno looked at Nanoha. "I'm going to take Vivio back home, since its way past her bed time. Just give me a call, alright?" he smiled. Nanoha smiled back at him. "Okay. Thank you Yuuno-kun." She said. Yuuno made a small bow. "I'll be going now. Hope you get well soon Fate-chan." He said.

"Thank you Yuuno-kun." Fate said as the blonde man went out together with Vivio. "You are quite lucky to have someone as understanding as Yuuno-kun, Nanoha-chan. I hope Fate-chan here also finds someone who will take care of her as well." Lindy gave out a sigh, as Erio and Caro both grinned. "Mom!" Fate just blushed in embarrassment. Nanoha and Hayate just giggled while Signum remained frowned all the time. "Signum-san? What's wrong? Why are you scowling?" Nanoha asked.

"Hehe, her pride got wounded…as Fate-chan here have told us what happened back in the Uminari City Mall!" Hayate smiled. Signum just crossed her arms. "I swear on my pride as a Belkan Knight, I will show this…this Alexander Lyoneid who the weak one really is!" she grumbled as Fate, Hayate and Nanoha started laughing, however, the ponytailed brunette immediately stopped laughing when she recognized the name Signum have said. "A…Alexander Lyoneid? Isn't that the name of one of our classmates?" she gasped. All of them went silent because of Nanoha's sudden revelation…

Fate sighed. "I better tell you the whole story before Hayate thinks of something else, Nanoha-chan."

Meanwhile, Teana and Shari were inside the Enforcers Command Database. "No, there's nothing in the database about Warlocks or Demon Blade. Are you sure this is what Fate-san wanted us to look for?" Shari asked. Teana nodded. "That creepy one-eyed guy is supposedly called "The Demon Blade", as Fate-san would recall it. I don't know the exact details though, but he and that "wolf creature" did manage to save us. So that means they're not the bad guys, right?" the sniper asked. Shari thought for a while as she arranged her glasses. "And those creatures that attacked you…the one you called Warlocks? How powerful were they?" she asked.

Teana shuddered as she remembered how she, Vita and Signum were defeated by the two other Warlocks inside the shopping mall.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"_Teana! Back me up!" as Signum rushed towards at a Warlock, which was still disguised as a man! Teana fired multiple shots, hitting the Warlock directly on its chest! The enemy simply stood there, looking at its mid-section blown off with hole on its chest! Signum dashed and then tried to decapitate its head but the third Warlock blocked her attack, parrying it at the right moment! Signum backed away as Vita flew overhead! "It's time to finish all of you with one blow! GRAF EISEN!" as she was just inches away from dealing the crushing blow! The third Warlock that parried Signum's attack suddenly changed from its human form to its real form, opening its horrifying mouth and began shrieking a horrifying sound!_

"_GYAAAH!" Vita yelled as she was thrown off, hitting Signum who was behind her! Teana herself yelled in constant pain as she felt painful spikes burn her entire body! The last thing she saw was that she collapsed on the floor and everything went black…_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

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**

"And that's all I remember…" Teana said as she wrapped up her story. Shari looked at her in complete disbelief. "It would have been helpful if we managed to get a sample of one of those Warlock things…maybe we could get a clue as to what they really are and how we can fight them off if in case they might appear here in Mid-childa." The bespectacled girl said.

Teana scoffed. "What? You think those things might come here in Mid-childa? I don't think so…"

Shari shrugged her shoulders. "It never hurts to be careful, you know." She said.

Back in Room 45 of the TSAB Infirmary…

"Are you telling me…that that one-eyed person we met at school…just killed all three of those things you call as Warlocks?" Nanoha asked skeptically. Fate just sighed. "I know it's difficult to believe at first, but it's all true. Alexander Lyoneid isn't what he really looks like, which is why we need to be careful when he is around." She said. Hayate looked up as if thinking. "Hmmm, well, I think you should get to know him even better during your school hours, Fate-chan…" she suddenly declared.

"Huh? Why?" the blonde asked, surprised. Hayate smiled. "Think about it; you did say that he saved you, Signum-chan, Vita-chan, and Teana-chan and plus, he seems to have an issue with those things that attacked you, right? It could prove to be quite useful to learn more about him, thus in the process, we learn more about the nature of the new enemy."

"Looks like it. He…he killed them all like he hated them for a long time…" Fate felt a cold chill down her spine as she remembered Al's reaction during that time. "But still, I think we need to be careful around him. I don't like the way he fights or his attitude. He's…too serious…too dark…too brooding…even when he is in class…and he's awfully rude and direct to the point!" the blonde Enforcer sighed.

"Ara, ara…and how is it that you know of these qualities of his?" Hayate grinned. "Is it true as to what Teana Lanster has told me before; that you have been checking someone out lately?" she teased.

"W…W…What? What are you talking about?" Fate stammered. Nanoha looked at Fate and sighed. "So that's the reason why you left me at the mercy of Arisa and Suzuka back at the university. You were so busy looking at Alexander, weren't you?" she looked at the blonde suspiciously. Fate instantly blushed. "No! That's not-"she stuttered when she noticed her mother and her two adopted children.

"Ahh, at last, my daughter is starting to like someone…" Lindy said with a dramatic sigh. "I thought I have to reach sixty just to see this day…"

"Wow, Fate-san! Congratulations!" Caro smiled. "We'll be rooting for you!"

"That's right. Prove to Commander Yagami that you're going to get a boyfriend!" Erio gave a thumbs-up. Fate just sighed in defeat. "Why does everyone treat me like I am going to be single forever?" she pouted. "But seriously speaking though, that wolf creature, Anubis, said something about Mid-Childa being in danger as well. Do you think those Warlocks might attack us here as well?" she asked.

"No, I really don't think so; everyone knows that anything on Earth can't reach Mid-childa without the power of a teleportation device or maybe, a Lost Logia." Hayate said while placing her arms on her hips. "But enough about the sad news! I have more important things to discuss, since you and Nanoha-chan are here!" the young commander grinned. She then went near the communications system that was present inside the room. "That perverted Admiral, Chrono-kun, have just said something about bringing back the 6th Mobile Force Unit. This time, we are set to investigate some craters in Alzas. However, these are no ordinary craters; these were the remains of what was supposedly a very big communications outpost of the TSAB." As she pressed some buttons and then a screen flashed before all of them, showing the devastation of the craters in Alzas in the screen. Nanoha and Fate were stunned to see the damages. "How could something like that happen?" Caro asked. "I hope no one got hurt…"

"There were no casualties, fortunately, but it was a big blow to the TSAB, since that communications outpost was the one thing keeping our transmissions from the other sectors of High Command active." Hayate explained. "And as the Admiral has told me, reports of unknown signals have been detected in Mid-childa and the same signals were the ones that Signum-chan and Vita-chan were sent to do a recon mission while the Enforcers were to do an investigation back in Uminari City."

Fate thought for a while. "How about in Alzas? Did any of the mages in there encounter Warlocks, just like we did?" she asked. Hayate gave a long sigh. "That is the problem; the High Council forbid anyone from asking the mages who were stationed in there. The funny thing is that the mages stationed at that communications post were high-ranking mages, so if they have indeed encountered anything like the Warlocks that you said, Fate-chan, then we would have received a message for help." The brunette said.

Nanoha scratched her head. "Nyahaha, anyway, I am glad that the 6th Mobile Force Division has been reactivated again. I'm sure Subaru-chan and Teana-chan will be glad to be under the same team again, right?" she said. "Right! Nove-san will also be a part of the team, along with the rest of Numbers as support squad. We will need more help than usual, because this seems a very big concern to the TSAB as of the moment." Caro said.

"I will be in-charge of training and squad tactics, making sure that everyone knows how to position themselves in battle." Signum said proudly. "I will start studying how the Warlocks fight so I can prepare for them the next time they appear again!"

"Lutecia-chan is also included in the team, as her mother have approved of her desire to help us." Erio smiled. Fate then noticed that Caro's smile immediately disappeared the moment Erio mentioned Lutecia, making her giggle softly. While Hayate and Nanoha chatted with Signum and the two kids, she felt someone was looking at her from outside the window. She blinked and then saw that it was simply just the curtain window flowing freely from outside.

But from across the hospital, on a towering building was Al standing on top of a platform, wearing his long black cape. He closed his eyes. "Project Fate…I will keep protecting you, just like what Father would have wanted." He whispered. Suddenly, five shining blasts erupted all over the southern part of Mid-childa, alerting him as he looked around the hospital building. "Damn it! They're finally here!" he hissed as he disappeared into a speeding shadow, heading towards the ground while running from the top of the building down towards the ground! When he came to the middle part of the building, he spun to the left and did a back-flip jump, landing on the ground with a loud thud. He faced the direction where the explosions occurred while behind him was the entrance towards the hospital.

"To protect Project Fate?" as he looked behind him. "Or to protect those she holds dear?" as his mind filled with the images of Fate laughing and smiling happily with Nanoha, Vivio, and the rest of her friends. Al gritted his teeth. "Damn it! I hate decisions!" as a black flame burst in front of him. He grabbed the flame with his right hand and swayed it towards his left, revealing his Demon Sword. He then sped towards the direction of the explosions.

At that very same time, inside Room 45 of the TSAB Infirmary…

"What in the world?" Nanoha exclaimed as the whole building rocked because of the explosions that occurred outside. Hayate and Signum looked outside and saw the southern part of the city in smoke and flames! "What! The…city! In flames?" Hayate stammered in shock. Nanoha hurriedly looked at the window as she knew that particular place all too well! "No! Vivio and Yuuno-kun!" she said as she hurriedly flipped open her cellular phone and began dialing. She walked to and fro while placing the phone on her head. "Please pick up, Yuuno-kun!" she muttered. The door suddenly opened, with Agito and Reinforce Zwei rushing in! "Mistress Hayate! We have an emergency going on in the southern corner of Mid-Childa! Some unknown creatures were spotted crawling out from the exploded areas and are being handled by the resident mages!" Reinforce said. Fate's eyes widened when she heard Reinforce mentioned something about "unknown creatures". "It's the Warlocks! They're here!" she said. Hayate and Nanoha looked at her. "What? How could...how is it possible? Argh! Never mind! Let's scramble all available forces that can help in those areas! Reinforce, you are coming with me!" said Hayate. "Signum-chan, you and Agito remain here and make sure that Fate-chan and Vita-chan are in safe hands!"

"Yes, my lady!" Signum said. "Leave it to us!" Agito grinned.

"Don't think you can leave me behind!" Nanoha said as she clutched Raising Heart. "Yuuno and Vivio might be in serious danger!"

"But Nanoha-chan, are you sure?" Fate asked with a worried voice. Nanoha nodded with a determined look. "If those creatures hurt Vivio or Yuuno-kun, I will make them all pay!" she said, making the blonde shudder because of a deep chill that climbed down her spine. When it comes to her family, Fate knows that it is best not to make her best friend angry.

Erio and Caro stood up. "We'll check out the explosions, if you don't mind Fate-san! We want to help Commander Hayate as much as we can and it would be interesting to know how powerful these Warlocks really are. Right, Caro?" Erio asked.

"Right! We have been training really hard, Fate-san, so we can help you when the right time comes!" Caro smiled. Fate sighed. "How I wish I wasn't filled with all of these tubes and needles; then I could've helped you as well! Please, be careful all of you! The Warlocks could shape-shift to look like people, so always be on your guard." She told everyone. Hayate, Nanoha, Erio and Caro nodded and they all rushed outside the room. The blonde woman gave out a long sigh. "For some reason, Signum, I felt as if he was here as well…" she said. Signum looked at her, confused. "Surely, you are not serious?" she asked.

"I don't know for sure. I only felt like he was indeed out there…because I know for sure that he HATES Warlocks…" Fate muttered as she looked at the window while smoke and flames was seen in the city.

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**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's Notes: **Finally, an update! It was quite a stressful day as I had to juggle my schedule from work and this fanfic. And it's really not a joke, considering some of the emails that I have been receiving constantly from several people; some are quite nice, while most are full of hostility. In any case, I will continue working on this fic until it's finished, so please bear with me a little if I am a bit slow with the updates! Thanks everyone!


	5. Part 4 Battle for MidChilda

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

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_"Hehe, her pride got wounded…as Fate-chan here have told us what happened back in the Uminari City Mall!" Hayate smiled._

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_Teana scoffed. "What? You think those things might come here in Mid-childa? I don't think so…"_

_Shari shrugged her shoulders. "It never hurts to be careful, you know." She said._

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_"No, I really don't think so; everyone knows that anything on Earth can't reach Mid-childa without the power of a teleportation device or maybe, a Lost Logia."_

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_"To protect Project Fate?" as he looked behind him. "Or to protect those she holds dear?"_

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**Part 4 – The Battle for Mid-Childa!**

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Al jumped from one building unto next like a speeding bullet. His mind raced with his own thoughts, concerning a young girl with beautiful long flowing blond hair…

**FLASHBACK**

**

* * *

**_A young boy sat inside a dark and dimly-lit room, staring at a monitor. The monitor showed a young girl who was training together with another girl with dog ears and a tail. His red eyes stared at the golden haired girl who was laughing heartily._

"_Father…who is that girl?" the boy asked. A man wearing a white laboratory coat stepped forward and went near his side._

"_That…is Fate Testarossa, my boy. And she is just like you…"the man answered. The boy looked down. "She is nothing like me, Father. Look at her; she is happy and contented while I am alone…" he said. The man knelt down in front of him and hugged him in his arms. The boy just blinked. _

"_Alexander, my child…my dearest son. You are not alone. You have me and your brothers. Times may be hard today, but you and that girl on the monitor will do something amazing in years to come…that is why you need to endure everything that is thrown at you today…" the man said with tears flowing from his face. "Remember what I always tell you, Alexander? The saying that your mother told you?" _

_

* * *

_"MASTER! MASTER AL!" a voice said, interrupting Al's inner thoughts. He spotted Anubis running down on the ground in his wolf form. The one eyed man jumped down in the streets while the wolf stopped in his tracks. "Why are you here, Anubis? I thought I told you to keep an eye on the hospital?" he asked.

"I was watching the hospital when I received a message from Lady Grandeur! She's coming with reinforcements! And guess what? Your brothers will be here as well." Anubis said. Al rolled his eyes. "Just great…doesn't that old hag understand every word I say? She risks everything by coming here!"

"But master…don't you think it's about time that we start trusting TSAB again?" Anubis asked. "It has been far too long…and the Warlocks keep getting stronger. We need their help…"

Al shuddered. "It is completely against my principles to help TSAB when it was them that caused this whole mess by themselves!" he grumbled. "I know that it had been far too long, but as long as the TSAB High Council exists, the true history of the Tri-God Crisis will never be solved."

"What do you want me to do then, master?" Anubis asked. Al looked forward and saw another explosion rock the whole area as TSAB mages flew around the area, fighting the Warlocks defiantly. "Send a message to Grandeur. Tell the old hag to order my brothers in taking out the Warlocks at the southern part of Mid-childa. Also, tell her to meet with the one they call Commander Hayate Yagami. I've heard that she is the one in-charge of investigating the Warlock Incident back on Earth." Al said calmly as he walked towards the opposite direction.

"I got all of that. But where are you going master?" Anubis asked.

"I'm going back to check on Project FATE." Al replied as his Demon Sword disappeared in a black flame.

"What? But why do you have to go back there? Everything seems quiet on that area?" the wolf asked. Al looked from left to right as the calm wind of the night blew. He then looked at the sky.

"Something's not right Anubis. This whole attack in Mid-childa seems rather too well planned by simple-minded Warlocks." Al said. "It might be possible…that Zealot is here…"

"What? Zealot is here?" Anubis exclaimed. "But how is that possible? You killed him 3 years ago!"

"Zealot is a cold-blooded invertebrate; he'll only go down once I cut off his miserable head! And if you remember quite correctly, my friend, I only destroyed half of his body." Al said. "But the next time I meet up with him and his minions…" as he clenched his fist. "I. Will. Kill them all!" Al said in a cold yet violent voice.

Anubis shook his head. "There is so much hatred inside you, my master. Aren't you afraid that it might consume you in the end? Revenge is not the only thing in this world, you know?"

"I am the Destroyer, am I not? There is nothing left to consume inside of me, Anubis. I was made to avenge Father and to protect Project FATE; those are the only reasons why I exist." Al said as he continued walking back to the opposite direction. "In any case, I need you to continue forward and find Nanoha Takamachi's daughter, Vivio Takamachi and Yuuno Scrya. They are important to Project FATE, so you need to make sure that they are alright."

"Yes master; I shall do as told…" Anubis said. "Be careful as well."

"I will." Al said as he disappeared into a speeding shadow. Anubis watched as his master jumped from building to building like a flash. "Zecherov, you bastard…look at what you did to your eldest son!" the wolf grumbled as he disappeared into a burning black flame.

* * *

Back inside the TSAB Infirmary, Shamal was checking Fate's condition. "You seem to be fine already, Fate-chan. You'll be released by tomorrow." She smiled while writing something on a folder. Fate just sighed as she looked by the window. "Any news from Hayate or Nanoha, Signum-san? I am worried about Nanoha-chan, Vivio and the others." She asked. Signum was already in her Knight uniform as she tried communicating with her earpiece communicating device. "It seems the Warlock infestation has reached the southwest end of Mid-childa as well. I haven't heard anything from Nanoha-san or Hayate-sama, so I guess they still must be going to the area." She said.

"Alright. I do hope Erio and Caro are alright…" Fate said. "It's rare for them to visit me and now, they both run off to save the world…" the blonde gave a disapproving sigh. Lindy and Shamal just looked at each other and giggle. "Well, you can't expect them to keep on being children forever; they were raised to be responsible with their surroundings, but I am a little curious about their "growing" relationship…" Lindy said as Fate gave a weak smile.

"I'm pretty sure that those two have gotten very close with each other." Shamal said. Suddenly, the whole area became extremely dark because of a power failure! "Oh no! A power interruption at this time?" the doctor said as she checked outside. The nurses and staff from inside the TSAB Infirmary rushed into the main corridor of the hospital together with Vita and Zafira. "Something does not feel right…" Zafira said. Vita was already in her Knight armor as well and she went towards Signum, since her room and Fate's room were close to each other. "Is the backup generator not working this time? I am pretty sure it is always available…" Shamal told one of the doctors.

"I have called the maintenance department, but I keep getting a dead line on all the communicators inside the hospital." The doctor replied. Signum and Vita gave an alarmed look at each other. "This sounds too suspicious indeed. Shamal, do you have another room that we can use?" Signum asked. Shamal blinked. "Ah, yes…but why do you ask?" she asked.

"I have a bad feeling about all this. Please ask the doctors and the staff to evacuate at once! Fate-san, Lindy-san, you need to evacuate as well! I fear your lives are in danger as you stay here!" Signum declared. Fate and Lindy gave a worried look at them. "Why? What's wrong?" the blonde asked. Suddenly, a blood curdling scream was heard all over the hospital! "What was that?" Lindy exclaimed. The main door towards the corridor opened and all of them saw a doctor crawling and screaming away from the door as a Warlock appeared, screaming! "Run! RUN!" Signum said as the doctors and personnel began to panic, running towards the exit! Vita and Zafira rushed in front as they faced the monsters! "We'll try to hold them off! Get the captain and the ex-admiral out of here!" Vita yelled. Signum and Shamal immediately closed the door. "Fate-san, we must get out of here! The Warlocks are coming!" Signum yelled.

"What? How did they?" Fate said as she stood up. Shamal took off the wirings and bandages from her arms and gave her Bardiche. "I know that you won't just get out of here, so leave Lindy-san to me!" she smiled. Fate nodded. "Mother, please get to safety with Shamal-san and the others. Signum-san and I will help Vita-chan and Zafira!" she said while holding Lindy's hands. Lindy just sighed. "You take care, you hear me?" she said. Fate nodded as Shamal opened the door and led Lindy out of the room. Fate then looked at Bardiche. "Ready Bardiche?" she asked. The device glowed. "Yes sir."

* * *

Nanoha and Hayate finally stopped flying when they reached the southern part of Mid-childa. As they floated in the air, they saw the TSAB mages fighting a difficult battle against the creatures down below. "This isn't possible! How did these creatures appear in Mid-childa so easily?" Hayate said.

"Perhaps I can help you with that…" a hissing sound was heard. Nanoha and Hayate turned around and saw what looked like a creature that looked like a jester floating behind them; he looked like a human, but his mask was split into two parts, displaying a sad face and a happy face. "It is so beautiful, don't you think? All this chaos and mayhem puts a happy smile into my face!" as the jester's mask changed into that of a happy one.

"Who are you? Are you responsible for all of this?" Nanoha asked cautiously. The jester then made a bow. "My name is Teskelon, humble servant of Zealot, master of the Warlocks! And you two must be proud TSAB mages, are you not? I am just appalled as to why TSAB would employ children to do their dirty work for them. Hmmm…" the clown mused as he scratched his head, his mask changing into a plain face. Just then, Hayate pointed her staff against the jester!

"I need answers! Who is Zealot and why are these things attacking Mid-childa?" the blond exclaimed. Teskelon suddenly disappeared before her and then appeared behind Nanoha. Nanoha instantly flew away from him! "My, my…such brash actions! You pretty girls are all so hot-blooded; not like the old days where you can torture them and have fun until they bleed to death!" he jeered as he gave out a crazed laugh! "But to answer your question; let's just say that these Warlocks are like goats. And goats are known for their endless gluttony and greed. These creatures have discovered their ultimate paradise! A world where magic is a way of life; here they can devour that magic until they are satisfied! That is the true nature of Warlocks, my dear little girls! This world shall become my masterpiece!"

Hayate gripped Schwertkreuz in anger. "We won't let you do that! Mid-childa is our home! We will defend it, even if it costs us our lives!" as she raised her staff! "Atem de Eises!" she yelled as four ice-blocks appeared! The blocks started shooting at Teskelon, wrapping the clown in ice! "Teheeehehee! You girls are indeed full of energy! Wrapping dear old Teskelon in ice is really sweet of you!" said the clown as it started shrieking in joy! Nanoha, however, frowned at him as she held Raising Heart in preparation for a spell!

"Let's see if you find this sweet! Axel Shooter!" the ponytailed brunette exclaimed! Twin energy projectiles flew towards the frozen clown and exploded on contact! Nanoha and Hayate looked cautiously as the dust and smoke slowly faded away. "Nice try, but that kind of attack just tickled…" said Teskelon, who suddenly appeared behind Hayate! "Hayate, look out!" Nanoha yelled but the clown have struck the Mid-childan A class mage swiftly on her back! Hayate screamed in pain as the black wings which were supposed to let her fly was cut off and she began to fall!

"HAYATE-CHAN!" Nanoha yelled as she flew down to catch her but Teskelon appeared in front of her! "Where do you think are you going, my sweet?" the clown changed its mask into a happy face as he fired a black energy bolt at her! Nanoha evaded the attack by flying to the right! "Get out of my way!" she yelled as she pointed Raising Heart at Teskelon! "Stand by ready!" Raising Heart said.

"DIVINE BU!-"cried Nanoha when she got the shock of her life as Teskelon instantly appeared a few inches from her! "You think I'd let you cast Divine Buster that easily? I don't think so!" Teskelon hissed as the clown grabbed Raising Heart and broke the staff in two! Nanoha's eyes widened as an explosion occurred, throwing her away in the process! She felt pain all over her body as she flew away, her Barrier Jacket tattered and broken! She saw Hayate still falling down into the ground! "Hayate-chan…I'm…sorry…" she whispered as she closed her eyes. She heard the mad laugh of the clown who broke her wings, her Intelligent Device, when she suddenly felt she landed on something fluffy and soft.

"I say, I did not quite expect old Teskelon to appear here. Looks like Alexander was indeed correct about his suspicion!" a voice said. Nanoha opened her eyes and was surprised to see the night sky! "Am I dead?" she asked. Just then, two yellow eyes stared at her. "She seems to be alright. How about her companion, Sekhmet?" a female voice purred. Nanoha blinked and she instantly sat up. She saw Hayate sitting down in front of her, holding her right arm. "Nanoha-chan! Thank goodness you are alright!" Hayate sighed in relief.

"Wait, you were falling…and so was I! Where are we?" Nanoha asked. The two girls then realized that they were aboard a great golden eagle; a gigantic creature that was hovering Mid-childa from above! "Greetings, Commander Hayate Yagami and Captain Nanoha Takamachi!" said a small white cat who was sitting in front of them, together with a black cat which was lying down, relaxing. "I am Baast and this old sourpuss behind me is Sekhmet. And this is Horus…" said Baast while flicking its tail.

"Hullo, my dears! We are terribly sorry for arriving too late. Anubis has been unreliable in giving us the information we needed to help you in controlling this dreadful mess." Said Horus, the giant eagle. Nanoha and Hayate only stared at them in disbelief. "Wait, who are you? What in the world is an Anubis?" Hayate asked in a confused tone. Before the animals could answer them, Teskelon suddenly appeared in front of the eagle!

"Tsk tsk, such rude pests! How dare you interrupt my fun!" the clown said as he raised his arm in preparation for a spell when Sekhmet opened its mouth and fired a white colored flame in front of the clown! "Yarrgh! It burns!" Teskelon cried as Sekhmet and Baast suddenly transformed into humanoid cat-forms; Baast was a cat-woman wearing a skimpy white overcoat holding a long staff while Sekhmet was a male cat-humanoid wearing a black overcoat with arm-blades as weapons! "Get these two ladies out of here, Horus!" Sekhmet said as he and Baast lunged at Teskelon!

Horus used the opportunity to dive down swiftly! "Hold on!" he yelled as Nanoha and Hayate held on as tightly as they could! When they reached the ground, the eagle landed gracefully and bent down. "You may get down from here, ladies. Lady Grandeur will be here shortly." The eagle said.

"Lady Grandeur? What are you talking about?" Nanoha asked. Suddenly, a white spark appeared from behind her as a middle-aged woman walked out from what looked like a portal, together with a team of men dressed in white military uniforms. "Looks like we're here gentlemen… begin operation!" the woman said. "Yes ma'am!" the men in white yelled as they took out weapons of all kinds; broadswords, axes, spears, and guns! They rushed all over the place as Nanoha and Hayate looked on in a daze!

"Wait a minute! Who are you? Who gave you the authority to enter Mid-childa with the use of a teleportation device?" Hayate exclaimed. The middle-aged woman looked at the shorter brunette as she lit up a cigarette. "My name is Grandeur Le-Fleur, Inter-dimensional Relations Commander of E.D.E.X. As per protocol with the TSAB, these Warlocks are under our jurisdiction and we have the ability to deploy forces in your region provided that there is a Warlock infestation going on, which seems to be happening right now. And who are you to ask me anyway, child?" Grandeur said as she frowned.

"I am Commander Hayate Yagami of the 6th Mobile Division! And I order you to explain the current situation, if you are who you say you are!" Hayate exclaimed. Nanoha smiled weakly as she tried pulling the brunette away. "C'mon Hayate-chan, be polite!" she said. Grandeur fixed her eyes on the short brunette instead. "You say you are Hayate Yagami? Hmm, so that damn Alexander was indeed correct…" the taller woman said as she walked past the two girls.

"What? Alexander?" Nanoha said. "Do you perhaps know Alexander Lyoneid?" she asked.

"Yes. That stupid, good for nothing, rebellious boy happens to be my nephew. What was he thinking coming to Mid-childa all on his own?" the purple haired woman grumbled as a vein popped from her forehead, smoking casually. Nanoha and Hayate looked at each other. "In any case, since Alexander says you were in-charge of the Warlock Incident that occurred in Uminari City days ago, that means I can depend on your help in dealing with this whole mess." Grandeur smiled. "And you must be the famous Nanoha Takamachi? The one they all call the White Devil?" she said, looking at Nanoha.

"Nyahaha! I'd rather be called by my first name instead of that…" Nanoha said in embarrassment. Suddenly, an explosion occurred as Sekhmet was thrown into the ground! "Oi, cat! Are you ok?" Horus asked but Sekhmet instantly stood up, his feline eyes bursting in anger! "Get away from me, you overgrown chicken!" as the humanoid cat jumped and went back to the fight against Teskelon with Baast! "Sourpuss!" Horus shook his head. "In any case, we best get out of here, Lady Grandeur! Those cats can take care of the old clown by themselves!" the eagle said.

"Right! It might be a good idea for all of us to get out of here first before I explain the current situation. Don't you agree, Commander Yagami?" Grandeur asked. "Yes, I agree. I have already sent a message to Shari. She should have the Command Base ready for us. And please, you may call me Hayate, Miss Le Fleur…" the brunette said.

"What about Vivio and Yuuno-kun? I'm worried about them!" Nanoha said. Grandeur looked at Horus. "Where were you supposed to meet these people?" Grandeur asked. "Well, my house is within the southeastern part of Mid-childa. I need to go there and find them!" Nanoha exclaimed.

"But Nanoha-chan, Raising Heart is…" Hayate said as she brought the broken staff towards the brunette. Nanoha sadly looked at her Intelligent Device. "This is the Intelligent Device Raising Heart, isn't it? Why is it broken?" Grandeur asked. "The enemy managed to break it somehow but Shari should be able to repair it back at the base." Hayate replied. Grandeur peered at the broken Intelligent Device and then shook her head. "No, it's beyond repair. Look at this…" as she pointed at the broken piece. Nanoha and Hayate noticed a black lining that formed within the cracks of the staff. "Teskelon is a creature specializing in internal deconstruction and corrosion, which means anything that he can touch, will be destroyed from within. The good news is that he seems to be very good with Devices and not with organic beings. But for this poor Intelligent Device, it's over now. I'm sorry…" the older woman said.

Hayate looked at Nanoha with a worried look. "How could this happen? My wings…are broken now…" Nanoha said as she started to sob. Horus gave the ponytailed brunette a nudge with his beak. "Do not cry, dear girl! My master's brother, Janus, should repair this Intelligent Device within no time at all!"

"Who's Janus?" Hayate asked. Another scream erupted as both Sekhmet and Baast fell down on the ground with a loud crash! Nanoha, Hayate and Grandeur looked above and saw Teskelon laughing wildly! "Wahahahaha! You are all pathetic! Weak little pussycats should be destroyed, along with everyone who dares to defy Master Zealot!" Teskelon yelled as he raised his arm! A black sphere of energy engulfed the whole area as he prepared to unleash a powerful spell!

"Die worms! Mayhem Wind!" Teskelon yelled as he fired a powerful blast at the people below. Hayate and Nanoha covered their eyes when they noticed four chains that passed from behind them, encompassing the area where they stood, together with Grandeur, Horus, Sekhmet and Baast! The chains formed into a protective circle, blocking Teskelon's attack with ease! "What? Who did that?" Teskelon yelled, his mask changing into a frowning face. Just then, one of the chains struck Teskelon's mask and then quickly wrapped his body, binding him in the process! Sharp spikes instantly appeared from within the chains, wounding Teskelon critically! The rest of the chains quickly retracted back to its original destination, prompting the two mages to look from behind.

"Great. I did not notice that you would be here, Teskelon…" said a young man with light brown hair and glasses on his eyes. He was wearing a blue formal suit and walked in a very professional manner, his left arm outstretched as the chains that protected Nanoha, Hayate and the others returned to his hand. He stopped when he noticed Grandeur. "I take it that big brother isn't around here?" the boy asked as he then pulled the chain binding Teskelon and hurled him down into the ground with a loud explosion! Nanoha and Hayate covered their eyes as the dust and smoke cleared. They saw Teskelon down on the ground, his mask broken. However, the only thing they saw was a puddle of black liquid quickly dissipating into the air. "Man, he escaped…again…" Janus said as the last chain went back into his hand.

"Master Janus!" Baast and Sekhmet both exclaimed as they went back to their cat forms and ran towards the boy. Janus knelt down and patted the cats. "Janus, great timing as usual. No, Alexander isn't here; Anubis says he's going to the TSAB Infirmary to check on her." Grandeur said. Janus just shook his head when he noticed Hayate and Nanoha looking at him. "Oh, where are my manners. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Janus Lyoneid, Captain of the EDEX Expeditionary Force. You must have met by big brother, Alexander?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. I am his classmate, Nanoha Takamachi. And this is Hayate Yagami." Nanoha bowed. Janus also politely bowed down. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. But I'm afraid we will have to skip further introductions for now, as I see multiple Warlocks coming this way." The boy said. Nanoha then remembered something. "Wait! Um, Horus-chan said something about fixing this Intelligent Device…" as she showed the broken Raising Heart. Janus looked at the staff. "It had been hurt badly…I can feel this Device's pain. However…" he closed his eyes and a white spell circle suddenly appeared on his feet! "Heal the wounds within…Reversal of Time." Janus chanted as he held the broken staff. Nanoha and Hayate were surprised as the broken staff returned back its original form within a few seconds!

"Here you go. She should be as good as new." Janus said as he handed the red sphere back to Nanoha. "Raising Heart? Are you alright?" Nanoha asked. Raising Heart glowed. "Yes, my master. Normal functions are restored." The Intelligent Device replied. Hayate and Nanoha smiled happily as they looked at Janus gratefully. "Thank you so much, Lyoneid-san! We are most grateful!" Hayate bowed.

"No thanks necessary. I…" Janus paused as he looked at Raising Heart. "I just don't want to see another Device suffer under the hands of Teskelon. Now, I'm sure you have other things to do, so if you please excuse me…" As he started walking in front as the Warlocks gathered in front of him. Baast and Sekhmet bounced in front of him and transformed back into their humanoid cat forms!

"We will see you in a bit, Lady Grandeur." Janus said. "If you happen to see any of my brothers, tell them about the meeting in the TSAB Command Base."

Grandeur smiled. "You seem to have found out who hacked into our system, Janus. Care to tell me then?" the lady asked. Janus gave her a sarcastic look. "You think I'd tell you at this time? Go figure it out!" as he and his familiars rushed towards the Warlocks! "Cocky little bastard. Anyway, I take it you girls are now able to fly again?" she asked when she saw Hayate and Nanoha back into their powered-up forms.

"Yes. We should be fine now." Hayate said as she dusted off dirt from her Armored Jacket. "How about you Nanoha?" she asked, looking at her friend. Nanoha was looking at her Barrier Jacket curiously.

"It's strange…but I feel even powerful…it's as if it's a new Raising Heart that I am using right now…" Nanoha said as she looked at her Intelligent Device. Grandeur just chuckled. "I will explain everything as we start looking for your beloved ones, Nanoha. I have already sent an alert to any available forces in the southeastern part of Mid-childa to help with the search." The lady said as she climbed on top of Horus. The eagle flapped its wings and flew, together with Nanoha and Hayate.

* * *

Janus Lyoneid looked as the three women and the eagle flew in the air. "Master, you have finally confronted Raising Heart; the legendary Intelligent Device known as the Devil's Armament. Why didn't you seal it right away?" Baast purred. Sekhmet suddenly hit the female cat woman on the back of her head. "Stupid! You know very well that as the Life-Giver, Master Janus cannot turn a blind eye on any dying Device!" he said. Baast stuck out her tongue at Sekhmet as Janus gave a smile. He then looked at the horde of Warlocks that surrounded him. "That Device…has already met her match, Baast. Nanoha Takamachi has tamed the Devil's Armament. Now come, you tainted monsters! I'll send all of you to your graves!" as his white chains appeared from both his hands. Baast and Sekhmet readied themselves as the Warlocks lunged at them, screaming in anger and madness!

* * *

Meanwhile, in the southeastern area of Mid-childa…

"Urghhh…" a creature said as it tried pulling itself up. "Teskelon has failed to bring back the Devil's Armament! And now, I am…" the creature began to cough up black blood from his mouth.

"Hey now! I thought you are supposed to be Zealot's strongest warrior? How come you are here, coughing and complaining?" another voice said, which was quite cheery. The creature had a horrified look as it saw its opponent. "NO! WAIT! Please don't kill me! I…I can tell you where Zealot is! Don't kill me!" the creature cried. The man standing in front of the cowardly creature gave a toothy grin. "Now that is more like it! Now, where-"he said when he paused as his communicator began beeping. "Now what?" he complained as he turned his back from the creature. A dangerous glint appeared from the creature's eyes as he took out a dagger and lunged at the unsuspecting man!

"DIE VINCENT LYONEID, THE PRESERVER!" the creature yelled! To his shock, his opponent managed to turn to the left at the very right moment, his dagger hitting nothing but thin air!

"I hate cheating scum like you." Vincent Lyoneid whispered as he pushed his palm unto the creatures' back! "Puño que se Desintegra! (Disintegrating Fist!)" he cried as a red light blasted the creature into pieces! When the smoke was cleared, Vincent sighed as he brushed his black hair upwards, dusting away the dirt and dust from his red colored jacket and black jeans. "Sorry about that; had some trouble with a general of Zealot's army." He opened his communicator. On the communicator was Grandeur's hologram image. "We've spotted Janus; he's engaging the Warlocks in the southwest corner of Mid-childa. Please report to the southeastern part; we are heading there! Please keep an eye out on a certain long-haired blonde man named Yuuno Scrya and a blonde girl named Vivio Takamachi! These individuals are very important for this mission." Said the woman.

"Right then! I'm on it! Let's just hope I am fast enough to make it there because that area is swarming with Warlocks!" Vincent said as he looked at the burning area filled with dozens of Warlocks!

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's notes**: I would like to apologize to everyone for the really, really late update! It's been so hard keeping up with my work and my fanwriting schedule, but I should have this updated quite often now. Thanks for everyone who have read and reviewed this story!


	6. Part 5 Rescue and Captured

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

"_That…is Fate Testarossa, my boy. And she is just like you…"_

_

* * *

__"I know that it had been far too long, but as long as the TSAB High Council exists, the true history of the Tri-God Crisis will never be solved."_

* * *

_"I have called the maintenance department, but I keep getting a dead line on all the communicators inside the hospital."_

* * *

_"But to answer your question; let's just say that these Warlocks are like goats. And goats are known for their endless gluttony and greed. These creatures have discovered their ultimate paradise! A world where magic is a way of life; here they can devour that magic until they are satisfied! That is the true nature of Warlocks, my dear little girls! This world shall become my masterpiece!"_

* * *

_"No thanks necessary. I…" Janus paused as he looked at Raising Heart. "I just don't want to see another Device suffer under the hands of Teskelon._

* * *

**Part 5 – Rescue and Captured!**

**

* * *

**

"Yuuno-papa!"

Yuuno woke up feeling weak and wounded all over his body. He blinked and then sat up. "What? Where am I?" he said. He then noticed two girls looking at him curiously. "Yuuno-san? Are you alright?" asked Einhart Stratos in her Barrier Jacket form. Yuuno was surprised to see her, along with Vivio, who was now in her Adult form as well! "Einhart? Vivio? Since when did you transform? And what happened?" the ponytailed blond man asked. Vivio smiled. "Erio-san and Caro-chan came and rescued us from some terrible monsters, Yuuno-papa. I am glad that you are safe!" she said. Yuuno patted her head as he slowly stood up. "I am surprised to see that you are here as well, Einhart-chan." He told the light-green haired girl. Einhart bowed formally. "I was simply passing by when I confronted those creatures; I fought my way here and saw Erio-san and Caro-san. They told me that Vivio was here and I wanted to help." She said.

"Me and Einhart-chan fought off those monsters easily, Yuuno-papa! You should have seen us!" Vivio giggled. Yuuno just chuckled at the younger girl's enthusiasm. "In any case, where are Erio and Caro?" he asked. "Well, they said for us to remain here as they were going to check the area before we move forward. They were going to look for survivors." Einhart explained. Vivio looked out and then gave a smile. "Ah! There they are!" she said as she spotted Erio and Caro running towards them. Yuuno walked towards the two teenagers as they sat down and rested for awhile. "Ah, Yuuno-san! You're finally awake! We were quite worried when you got hit by debris and you were knocked out cold." Erio said.

"So that's what happened? No wonder my head really hurts…" Yuuno winced as he touched his head. "No need to worry Yuuno-san. I have already placed some bandages and medicine on the affected part." Caro said. "However, I think its best that we go to the TSAB Infirmary so we can have it checked. I already sent Friedrich to the TSAB Infirmary to ask for help."

"Well done Caro. I'm pretty sure your Nanoha-mama would be worried about you, Vivio, so we should go back to the TSAB Infirmary. That goes for you too, Einhart. You should come with us." Yuuno said.

"I understand." Einhart nodded. Suddenly, the ground shook as Warlocks suddenly appeared from the ground! "Seven more of these creatures and they're far bigger!" Erio said as he got ready. Caro, Einhart and Vivio also got ready as the Warlocks growled in anger! Just then, Einhart noticed something falling from the sky! "Get cover! Something is coming!" she said all of a sudden! Erio and Caro looked upward and then saw a flash falling down on one of the Warlocks!

"Magnífico Dragón de Explosión! (Grand Exploding Dragon!)" A loud voice was heard as a bright red flame flashed from the heavens, forming into a great flaming dragon! The blazing creature opened its mouth and engulfed one of the Warlocks in a bright blaze! The Warlock screamed and shook in horrible agony while the flame started to crawl towards the other Warlocks as well! To Erio and Caro's horror, all seven Warlocks were consumed by the great red fire as someone landed just a few meters in front of them! Einhart Stratos stared in awe as the newcomer stood up; a grin was on his face. "And here I thought these bigger Warlocks would be much of a challenge!" the stranger grinned as he brushed his black hair upwards and then started fixing his red jacket. He raised his right arm; instead of a normal arm, his fist was outfitted with a robotic gauntlet and it began to spark with a red glow. "Nothing like a good finishing move to get you going, right Zero Edge?" he said while looking at his fist. "Si Señor! (Yes sir!)" came a robotic reply. Suddenly, Erio flashed behind him, pointing Strada on his back!

"Who are you? Explain yourself!" Erio said. Caro and Vivio gasped as Yuuno and Einhart moved in front. "Hey, hey! Is this any way to treat someone who saved your lives?" the stranger groaned. Erio did not flinch as he continued pointing his weapon against the stranger. "I asked you a question! Who are you? And how did you get your hands on an Armed Device?" the red-haired boy asked. The man smiled as he turned around, looking at Erio. "Oh, you mean Zero Edge? It's a fine Armed Device, don't you think? My brother Janus made it for me." He winked while pointing at his gauntlet "Say hello Zero Edge!" he said. "Buenas Noches (Good evening)" the device replied, surprising Caro, Einhart, Yuuno and Vivio. He then saw Yuuno. "A man with blond hair fashioned into a ponytail and wearing glasses?" the stranger began thinking while scratching his head. "Oh, wait! I don't suppose you are Professor Yuuno Scrya, right?" he suddenly asked, pointing at Yuuno.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I am Yuuno Scrya…" Yuuno said in surprise. "Ah! I've finally found you! It must be my lucky day indeed!" the man laughed as he tried to move forward but Erio still pointed his spear at him. "Don't move! I am still not convinced that you are not the enemy!" he said. Suddenly, the stranger moved his right arm swiftly and took away Strada from Erio's grip! He spun the spear so quickly and knocked off Erio from standing by hitting his left foot! The boy fell down and the newcomer pointed Strada at him, pinning him on the ground! "Erio-kun!" Caro gasped as Vivio and Einhart readied for battle but Erio raised his hand to stop them!

"Now if I was indeed the enemy, I would have killed you and your friends at once. But I didn't. So will you please calm down?" the stranger smiled. "My name is Vincent Lyoneid, Captain of the EDEX Assault Force. Nice to meet ya!" as he offered his hand to Erio. The boy reluctantly accepted his hand and stood up. Caro immediately ran towards him while Vivio and Einhart looked at Vincent curiously. "Excuse me, Vincent Lyoneid-san, but are you a practitioner of Strike Arts?" Vivio asked curiously. Vincent then gave her a goofy grin. "Strike Arts? No, I'm afraid not. Is that some kind of food? I'm terribly hungry" He replied. Erio and Caro looked at Vincent with a confused look. Einhart, however, stared at his red gauntlet.

"Then, that move…the one you used to destroy those creatures…what was it?" Einhart asked. "That was the Grand Exploding Dragon, one of the most powerful skills of the ancient Puño de Emperador (Fist of the Emperor)" Vincent explained. "It's a very difficult technique and can only be mastered if you trained hard while burning yourself with flames!" he proudly said. Vivio imagined herself training with fire and she shuddered while thinking about it. "Nanoha-mama said that playing with fire is dangerous…"she muttered. Einhart, however, was amazed with what she heard. "Grand Exploding Dragon…I must learn that move…" she thought to herself. Yuuno just chuckled. "Now, now you two! We are grateful for your help, Lyoneid-san, but we need to go to the TSAB Infirmary." He said.

"Well, don't bother. The TSAB Infirmary is surrounded by Warlocks and I have heard a report from one of my crew that almost everyone from inside has escaped. It's completely empty. And also, my orders were to watch over you until my superior arrives." Vincent said as he placed his hands above his head. "Besides, this is the only area that isn't surrounded by Warlocks, so we should be safe here."

"What? But what about Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama?" Vivio asked worriedly. "Not to mention Commander Hayate and the others! What if they didn't get out?" the blond girl exclaimed.

"Fate-san might also be in danger! We need to go back there as quickly as we can!" Caro said to Erio. Erio nodded as he then looked at Vincent with a stern face. "I apologize for what I did before, Lyoneid-san, but I would like to ask for your help. You defeated those creatures quite easily, which means you know something about them that we don't. So I beg you; please help us!" the boy said as he bowed politely. Vincent looked at them with a puzzled look. "Kid, look, as much as I want to help you out, I really don't want to make my superior angry. She hates disobedience and she will take away my entire allowance for a month if I don't follow her orders this time…" he winced.

"But-"Caro said when she noticed Friedrich flying back towards them. "Whoa! Is that a dragon? Cool!" Vincent exclaimed as Friedrich landed in front of them. "Friedrich, did you see anyone from the TSAB Infirmary?" Caro asked. Einhart and Vivio then noticed something flying up in the air. "Is that…a giant bird?" Erio said in surprise. The group noticed two familiar women while a few TSAB mages and some soldiers who were wearing white military uniforms running down in the ground while keeping up with the flying bird.

"Ahh! It's Nanoha-mama and Commander Hayate!" Vivio happily squealed as she began waving her arms in the air. Vincent looked in the sky as well. "Well I'd be damned. They're here at last." He grinned as the eagle landed just a few meters in front of them. Vivio, Erio and Caro ran towards the creature while Yuuno and Vincent followed from behind.

"Vivio! Yuuno-kun!" Nanoha exclaimed as she immediately gave her daughter and her boyfriend a big hug as Yuuno chuckled. Hayate landed on the ground as TSAB mages and EDEX soldiers began to surround the area. "We need to secure the area. Gather all the survivors and bring them to the TSAB Command Base. You will work together with the TSAB mages for this operation. Move out!" yelled Grandeur. "Yes ma'am!" the soldiers yelled as they dispersed. Erio and Caro met with Hayate while Friedrich floated behind the pink haired girl and was already in its smaller state. "Great job in finding Yuuno-kun and Vivio. And I am surprised to see that you are here as well, Einhart-chan…" Hayate smiled. Einhart blushed. "I was just passing by when Erio-san and Caro-san found me…" she stammered. Suddenly, Vincent went in front of Hayate and Nanoha! "Well, well…aren't you two ladies beautiful? Allow me to introduce myself; I am Vincent Lyoneid, the Preserver. Captain of the EDEX Assault Team and a handsome bachelor to boot…" he grinned as his teeth sparkled. Grandeur suddenly hit the back of his head with a wooden bat!

"Sorry about that…"the older woman said to the two girls as she pulled the incapacitated man away, much to Hayate and Nanoha's shock.

"Einhart-san and I fought off those creatures, Nanoha-mama! We were really good as a team." Vivio beamed. Nanoha gave out a worried sigh. "Vivio, you really shouldn't fight these monsters on your own. They're not like anything else that Nanoha-mama or Fate-mama have fought in the past, so promise me that you won't go fighting them when I am not around, okay?" the ponytailed brunette said.

"Okaay…" Vivio said as she transformed back into her child mode. Einhart also transformed back into her child mode, astonishing Vincent to no end. "So they were just little girls? Aww…too bad. They were kinda cute." Vincent sighed in disappointment. Hayate instantly gave him a cold glare while Grandeur pinched his right ear! "Owww! Owww! My ear!" Vincent groaned! "You should be ashamed of yourself, you perverted weasel! Thinking nasty thoughts on two innocent little girls! I didn't raise you and your brothers to be pedophiles and perverts!"Grandeur yelled as the middle-aged woman released his ear.

"What? How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I had no idea that they were just little girls!"Vincent angrily said. As the two kept on arguing, Erio and Caro were looking at the giant eagle in awe. "Hello! And who might you two be?" the eagle asked.

"Waah! It can talk?" Caro said as her eyes were shining in excitement. "My name is Erio Mondial and this is Caro Ru Lushe. It's nice to meet you, ummm…" the red haired boy muttered. "You may call me Horus, Mr. Mondial and Ms. Ru Lushe." Said the golden eagle proudly. "I am the humble familiar of Master Vincent Lyoneid, the Preserver. Are you friends with Ms. Takamachi and Ms. Yagami?" the bird asked.

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet such a fine creature as yourself, Horus-chan." Caro smiled. "We have seen so many creatures in Supools, but none as majestic and beautiful as you." The pink-haired girl lightly touched the eagle's beak, which Horus seems to be enjoying. "You heard that Master? I am indeed quite the handsome bird as I say I am!" the eagle puffed its chest. "Eh? Master Vincent?" the creature asked.

"Shut up! Shut up, you old hag! I have had enough of you! LET'S SEE HOW TOUGH YOU ARE, BITCH!" came a loud voice as debris began to fly in different directions, together with incoherent cursing and angry yelling. Horus just sighed as he walked in front of the two teenagers and covered their view. Nanoha and Hayate also led Einhart and Vivio away while Yuuno gave a shocked look! "We might as well leave them as they settle matters within their own hands." Horus told the long-haired blond man.

"Are they always this lively?" Yuuno asked with cold sweat dripping down his cheek. Horus laughed. "Oh, you should see them when they're back in the house; they're even more livelier there with the orphans around." Said the eagle. "What? Orphans, you say?" Caro asked.

"Yes. Master Alexander owns a small orphanage back in his hometown. When they are not working on a case for the EDEX, the three brothers and Lady Grandeur would visit the orphanage and live for a few days there; you can just imagine how troublesome it's going to be." Horus said as Vincent laid flat on the ground, covered with bruises, as Grandeur sat on top of his body, smoking casually. Erio and Caro looked at each other and then chuckled. "I hope Fate-san is alright…" Erio said as he looked at the direction of the infirmary. Caro touched Erio's shoulder. "I'm sure she will be alright, Erio-kun. She is Fate-san! She's strong and brave, and Signum-san, Shamal-san, Signum-san, Vita-san and Zafira are there with her!" she smiled as she tried to cheer the red-haired teen.

"Well, since the first objective for the day is already done, we might as well check out this TSAB Infirmary then…" Vincent said as he stood up, touching Horus' beak. Caro and Erio smiled. "Really? You'll help us Lyoneid-san?" the pink-haired girl smiled. Vincent grinned as he flashed a thumbs-up. "Sure! I can't just leave you kids on your own out there. Don't you agree, Horus?" he asked the golden eagle.

"Right. Most definitely so, Master Vincent." Said Horus. Grandeur took out another cigarette and lit it casually. "We will move out towards the TSAB Command and hold our position there until everything is under control. I will have Janus and his two familiars follow you once they are done clearing out the remaining Warlocks in their area. Alexander will most likely be in the TSAB Infirmary already." The woman said. Vincent gave a salute. "Yes, ma'am!" he grinned.

"I'm serious, you idiot." Grandeur sternly said. "Janus encountered Teskelon; this is no time to be fooling around. Be on your guard and contact me once you get to the TSAB Infirmary, is that clear?"

"Yup. Understood!" Vincent said as he ran and jumped behind Horus. Caro and Erio were already behind Friedrich's back as both the dragon and the eagle flew up in the air. "Vincent Lyoneid, the Preserver and Janus Lyoneid, the Life-Giver…" Hayate mused. "Why do you call them those? Are those some sort of fancy nickname for them?" she asked Grandeur. Nanoha and Yuuno looked at the brunette with weird looks on their faces as Grandeur threw away her cigarette, smirking.

"Have you heard of the Tri-GOD Project, Commander Yagami?" Grandeur asked. Hayate looked at her with a confused look. "No, I don't think I have heard of it. Why do you ask?" the brunette said. Grandeur sighed as she opened a device from her pocket. "Astelier II, the coast is clear. Warp in the Helix." The older woman said. To everyone's surprise, a very bright flash occurred in the sky as a big heli-carrier appeared in the sky. It slowly landed in front of them, amidst all the clouds of dust!

"I'll give you guys a lift. And while we're at it, I'll tell you everything you want and need to know." Grandeur said as she smiled.

* * *

**TSAB Infirmary – 2nd Floor**

"Grahhh!" Signum yelled as she swung Levatein downward, hitting another Warlock on its head! The sword damaged the creature as it fell back on the ground, groaning in pain! "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" another voice screamed as Vita sent two more Warlocks flying out of the building with a Raketen Hammer while Fate easily destroyed two more Warlocks with a Photon Lancer. The entire area became quiet as the dust and smoke began clearing out. Signum looked at the huge wall that Vita's attack has created. "It seems you will have to repair this hole that you made on the wall, Vita." The pink-haired Belkan Knight said. Vita instantly frowned. "We were fighting Signum; it can't be avoided!" she said in defense. Fate just silently looked at the rooms and the corridor while Zafira went ahead and checked the stairs leading below the first floor of the Infirmary. "Teana? Shari? Does anyone copy?" Fate said through her communicator but all she heard was buzzing. "I still can't get through. We will have to get out of here first if we are to communicate with Command." Fate said to Vita and Signum.

"That's the only option that we have right now." Vita said. "Hey Zafira! Is everything alright in the first floor?" she asked. There was no answer. Vita groaned as she walked towards the stairs. Suddenly, an explosion occurred within the stairs as Fate and Signum tried to keep their balance! "Vita-chan! Zafira!" Fate yelled as she and Signum ran towards the stairs when the two saw Vita and Zafira jump away from the smoke-filled debris. "Are you two alright?" Signum asked.

"Yeah. We're fine!" Vita said as she wiped away some dirt from her face. "Watch out. Here they come." Zafira said as violet energy orbs began firing towards them! Fate and Signum evaded the attacks while Vita rushed forward! "Tödliche Strafe!" she yelled as she hurled Graf Eisen and hit a metal shield, blocking her magic attack from hitting what was behind the shield! Vita jumped away as Zafira, Fate and Signum waited patiently.

"Congratulations on evading my trap. I didn't expect that the TSAB would have smarter mages, although I didn't expect them to be two women, a dog and a child." A male voice as the metal shield opened, revealing what looked like a steel golem that was taller than a Warlock. A black vortex appeared in front of the golem and a man wearing a black steel armor appeared, holding a giant bastard sword. He had red long hair and his face was stoic and his eyebrow-less eyes looked at them coldly. "The Warlocks seem to be doing a poor job in capturing you, Project FATE, so I decided to come here personally." The stranger said. "Although it isn't surprising anymore, considering your skills with the sword..."

"Who are you?" Signum said as she held Levatein cautiously. "Why do you intend to capture Captain Harlaown?" she pointed her sword at the stranger. "I am called Swordheart Ironfist the 2nd, Master of the Shadow Golems and general of Zealot's army. I am here to capture you, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, otherwise known as Project FATE, as your blood is needed to awaken the Tri-GOD." The stranger calmly said. Fate narrowed her eyes in anger. "What do you want me for? I don't know you nor do I know anything about the Tri-GOD." She said while holding Bardiche in its Zanber Form.

"It seems the TSAB have kept the secret behind the procedure well hidden. You have no idea how important your role will be in the resurrection of the Tri-GOD." Swordheart answered calmly as he walked towards the group. However, Signum and Vita immediately moved forward! "You will not lay a finger on her! You will pay for what you did!" Signum said. Swordheart frowned at the sight of the two.

"I do not have time to meddle with you." He said. "Take care of these little girls, golem!" he commanded the metal golem behind him. The golem rushed towards Vita and Signum and began attacking them! Fate tried to join the fight but Swordheart suddenly appeared in front of her! "You don't know how happy Master Zealot will be when he sees you, Fate T. Harlaown. For years, he has searched for you and now, he will not be denied of his victory. Come with me and I shall spare your friends from the pain of dying in vain." The man said, offering his hand. Zafira instantly lunged at him with an attempted punch, as to which Swordheart just received it with his left hand!

"Insolent animal. Know your place!" Swordheart said as he vanished and instantly stabbed Zafira from behind with his sword! "ZAFIRA!" Fate yelled as the Zafira winced in pain, kneeling down in the ground as blood covered his hands! Signum and Vita saw what happened and gasped. "You beast! I'll get you for that!" Vita growled as she tried to attack Swordheart from behind but the metal golem caught her right leg and threw her unto the wall! "VITA!" Signum yelled as she jumped and cut off the metal golem's hand! The golem stumbled away as Signum caught Vita in her arms! Fate rushed towards Swordheart and attacked him with a thrust; the man evaded and the two crossed swords with each other!

"Vita? Are you alright?" Signum asked. Vita opened her eyes and then shook her head. "Ouch…my back…" the girl said as the two looked at Swordheart and Fate fighting equally with the sword! Vita then saw Zafira on the ground. "No! Zafira!" she yelled as she stood up, but she fell down instantly! "Be careful! Your leg is hurt badly!" Signum said as she stood up and ran towards Zafira. Fate, sensing that Signum was trying to help Zafira, ducked and evaded Swordheart's attack. She dashed toward the man and pushed him towards the hole in the infirmary walls! "Vita! Signum-san! Get Zafira out of here! I will try to stall you some time!" she cried as kicked Swordheart away from her.

"No! That's completely out of the question! We won't leave you here Captain!" Signum yelled. Fate looked at her with serious eyes. "That is an order! Get Vita and Zafira out of here!" the blond yelled as Swordheart rushed towards Fate and the two began crossing swords again. The Belkan knight looked at Vita and Zafira; she suddenly remembered something inside her head; as she stood there, thinking, the metal golem has stood up behind her!

"_Honor without strength is weakness…_"

"I won't be called a weakling ever again!" Signum yelled as the metal golem raised its massive hands to crush her down! Fate turned around and saw what was about to happen! "SIGNUM-SAN!" she yelled. When the metal golem was about to hit her, a loud "THUNK" was heard instead. Signum was shocked to see a black humanoid wolf holding back the golem's massive arm from hitting her!

"Lass, you better get your friends out of here! I can't hold him much longer!" yelled Anubis as he pushed away the metal golem's hand! Signum snapped out from her confusion as she picked up Vita and Zafira and jumped away! Fate was surprised to see the wolf! "Anubis-san! Is that you?" she asked.

"Yes Fate T. Harlaown, it is I, Anubis! However, now is not the right time to chat! Clear the way, NOW!" said Anubis as he jumped to the side. Fate did as she was told and dashed towards the left side of the hall when Swordheart met her with his sword! "You shall not-!" he gasped when he stopped attacking Fate, sensing a feeling of dread from behind him!

"Suscitatio Leviathan! Telum Everto! Amplitudo Ultionis! (Awaken Leviathan! Spear Demon! Grand Punishment!)" A voice rang throughout the hall as Alexander Lyoneid suddenly appeared in a flash of blue flame and dashed right through the metal golem's chest, destroying the monster with the powerful thrust attack with the use of a spear! The one-eyed man met Swordheart; he swung the spear to the left, hitting the latter's giant sword! Swordheart's balance was interrupted as he stumbled away, but he regained his composure easily.

"You're finally here…the man responsible for my years of pain and anguish!" Swordheart grinned. "ALEXANDER LYONEID!" he roared as Al stood before him, holding a black colored spear; the tip was red in color and looked extremely sharp while the handle was jet-black in color and adorned with what looked like old and tattered cloth wrapped around the handle. Fate was behind him, panting softly.

"Is your friend alright?" Al asked without looking at Fate. "No. He's injured. We need to heal him or else, he will die." Fate said. Al nodded. "Don't worry; I will protect you and your friends. Anubis will help you get out of here." He said. "T…Thank you…"Fate whispered as she hurriedly went to Signum's side.

Al looked at her and noticed Zafira and Vita's condition. "Anubis, you know what to do." He said calmly as he spun the spear quickly and looked at Swordheart. "So, Zealot sends an old man like you to capture Project FATE?" he asked. Swordheart angrily looked at him. "I personally asked Lord Zealot to be here, because I know you will protect her from the likes of us. And I was indeed correct! Now I shall have my vengeance. I will finally kill you, Alexander Lyoneid, the Destroyer!" the swordsman yelled as he dashed towards Al.

"We need to get them out of here lass. Here, let me take care of them…" Anubis said as he held Zafira. "Vita, how about you?" Fate asked with concern. "No, I will stay here. It's nothing, it's just a sprain." Vita said. Anubis grunted as he picked up the red-haired girl! "Hey, wait! What are you doing?" Vita began yelling as she squirmed under Anubis' grasp. "Stop squirming, little miss! We are getting out of here!" Anubis said as he jumped out from the building. Signum looked as Al and Swordheart fought fiercely against each other. "Such incredible speed and power…I…I can't…" she bitterly thought as Swordheart jumped away from Al. He opened his left palm and an energy bolt appeared! "Degrade Burst!" he yelled as a beam of violet energy blasted towards Al.

"Hrryah!" Al exclaimed as he swung his spear downward, creating a shield of blue flame. The beam disintegrated within seconds after hitting the blue flame. "Ha! Ha! Ha! That's what I really love about you, Alexander Lyoneid! You never cease to amaze me! Your power…your speed…your ruthlessness! I want it all inside me!" Swordheart roared as he dashed towards Al. The black-haired fighter stopped Swordheart's giant blade by hitting his spear on the sword's blade. The impact instantly made a crack on Swordheart's blade and it made the swordsman stumble backwards. Al used the opportunity to dash towards his enemy, ready to kill him when Warlocks suddenly appeared before him.

"What! Who?" Swordheart asked as he kneeled in the ground. Fate and Signum watched as a black vortex appeared and a woman with four black wings appeared, holding a rapier. "What are you doing, Swordheart Ironfist? Master Zealot wanted you to capture Project Fate…and here you are, pursuing your own goals?" the woman asked. Swordheart grumbled angrily as the woman looked at the two mages.

"Come Swordheart. Teskelon has failed in his mission to bring the Devil's Armament and EDEX is here. We must retreat for now." She hissed angrily. "No! I can still fight Mistral! I can still defeat the Destroyer!" Swordheart yelled. Suddenly, a white chain went through Swordheart's giant blade and crushed the old swordsman's weapon to pieces, to his horror.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Said Janus Lyoneid as he skillfully retracted his white chain as his two cats stood beside him. Al narrowed his eyes as he jumped away from the Warlocks, who was blocking his way and landed near Signum and Fate. "We should get out of the way." He said as he pushed the two.

"Puño de Emperador! Patada Creciente! (Fist of the Emperor! Rising Destroyer!)" Vincent Lyoneid roared as he appeared from below the ground with a right uppercut that created a powerful lightning current that stunned the Warlocks! "The stage is all set, Al! Do it!" Vincent laughed as he and Janus jumped away, clearing the hall. Mistral opened her wings and a black vortex appeared again from behind her. "Come Swordheart! We are outnumbered!" as she went inside the vortex in a hurry. Swordheart angrily looked at the three brothers. "I will come back, Alexander Lyoneid…I swear!" he hissed with eyes so full of hatred and anger. He ran inside the vortex and disappeared as well.

"Awww…they got away…" Vincent sighed. Al suddenly hit the back of his head. "Oww! What the-"Vincent yelled. "Why did you hit me?"

"You made a hole on the floor AGAIN, big brother." Janus said calmly as he looked around the infirmary. "This is going to be a headache as this will go against EDEX budget. I wonder how much damage do we have to check around this area…" he muttered as he began looking around. Al walked towards Fate and Signum. "Are you two alright?" he asked. Signum looked at him with a scornful look as she walked away hurriedly. "Signum-san?" Fate said as she tried to follow but Al stopped her. "I can sympathize with her. She is a warrior full of pride and right now, she feels responsible for what happened today." He said. Fate noticed Al's shoulder was stained with blood. "Your right shoulder seems to be wounded, Al-san…" she said. Al looked at his right shoulder. "It is nothing. It will heal over time."

"Oh no, we need to have Shamal-san check it out. It's the least that we can do." Fate said as she tried to hold Al's right shoulder when Vincent appeared between her and Al! "Oh? So this is the famous Fate T. Harlaown? Project FATE herself!" Vincent grinned. "My, my…she is quite pretty; don't you think so, Janus?" he asked the browned hair youth, who was busy checking out the damages of the building. Fate began to blush when she noticed someone flying from outside the building.

"Fate-chan! Oh, thank goodness you are alright!" Nanoha said as she flew inside and gave her best friend a hug! Hayate followed and was shocked to see the mess in the Infirmary. "What in the world happened here?" she asked in shock. Al looked outside and saw a helicarrier floating just in front of him. He then saw Grandeur, looking at him through the helicarrier's glass window. "Ah, great… I'll probably expect a three hour lecture on obedience and orders…" the one eyed man grumbled.

"Ha! It won't be that bad!" Vincent smiled. "Well, for us, maybe…" he said when Janus instantly used his white chain to bind Al all of a sudden! "What the! Hey!" Al yelled as he kneeled down on the ground. "Huh? Wait, why are you capturing him?" Fate asked when she saw what happened. Nanoha and Hayate didn't respond as they walked towards Al.

"Sorry big brother…but its TSAB's protocol…" Janus apologetically said. "You should have listened to us."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Al yelled. Hayate smirked at him. "Under TSAB command, Alexander Lyoneid, you are under arrest for violating the Inter-dimensional Teleportation Treaty."

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, longer chapter this time! I owe it all to TokikoHyuga for the inspiration to make a much longer chappie this time! And for those reading this, I hope you like it as well! Will be updating more soon! Cheers!


	7. Part 6 The TriGOD

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...

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_"Nothing like a good finishing move to get you going, right Zero Edge?"_

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_"The TSAB Infirmary is surrounded by Warlocks and I have heard a report from one of my crew that almost everyone from inside has escaped."_

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_"I am called Swordheart Ironfist the 2nd, Master of the Shadow Golems and general of Zealot's army. I am here to capture you, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, otherwise known as Project FATE, as your blood is needed to awaken the Tri-GOD."_

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_"You're finally here…the man responsible for my years of pain and anguish!" Swordheart grinned. "ALEXANDER LYONEID!"_

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_"Under TSAB command, Alexander Lyoneid, you are under arrest for violating the Inter-dimensional Teleportation Treaty."_

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**Part 6 - The Tri-GOD**

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Swordheart Ironfist the 2nd was thrown into a huge stone wall, coughing up blood as he kneeled before Mistral and Teskelon, who was filled with bandages all over his body. "You have failed me miserably, oh soo miserably Swordheart Ironfist! Because of your failure, Project FATE is still out there and the Demon Blade still lives! That wretched, wretched man still protects her!" a chilling shriek erupted as a figure cloaked in red grabbed Swordheart by the throat.

"M…Master…p…please…forgive me!" Swordheart choked. "I…I only…wish to kill…the Destroyer for you!" he stammered as he struggled to breathe. The cloaked figure continued to bury his claws on the poor swordsman's throat when a hand appeared on the cloaked figure's claws. "Do not kill him yet, my love. We still have use for him, believe me." A soothing voice said. Mistral and Teskelon bowed down as a gorgeous woman with silver hair appeared beside the cloaked figure. "Zealot, you should calm down; otherwise, you might kill all of your subjects because of your deep anger. Everyone makes mistakes, so give this swordsman another chance." The woman smiled. Zealot let go of Swordheart immediately as if he was on a trance. The swordsman gasped for air as he kneeled on all fours on the ground.

"Teskelon! You said that Janus and Vincent Lyoneid are also in Mid-Childa, am I correct?" the silver-haired woman asked. "Yes, Lady Brunhild. The Lyoneid brothers are here in Mid-Childa as well and EDEX is in contact with TSAB already. However, I have received information that the Destroyer, Alexander Lyoneid, has been captured by TSAB." The clown smiled. Swordheart's eyes shot up as he immediately stood up. "Then let me infiltrate the TSAB headquarters. I will kill him and make up for my mistakes, Master Zealot!" Swordheart bowed before Zealot and Brunhild. The cloaked figure turned his back from the swordsman. "No! I will have Mistral spy the command center first. I will not have your personal grudges affect our glorious mission! Begone from my face until I call upon you again!" Zealot hissed. Brunhild looked at the swordsman silently as she followed Zealot, leaving Swordheart biting his lip in anger.

* * *

**TSAB COMMAND BASE, Mid-Childa**

"What is it now?" TSAB Admiral Chrono Harlaown moaned as he walked in the hallway towards his office together with Leti Lowran, ex-Admiral of the TSAB. "I have a bunch of office work to do today and Hayate interrupts me from it all. What could possibly be important about this?" he grumbled as he opened the door. He stopped when he saw Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, Yuuno, his mother, Lindy, together with three male and one female guest. "Ah, Leti. It's so nice to see you." Lindy smiled.

"Lindy? Here I thought I'd never see you here in Mid-Childa." Leti said as she went near the woman. Chrono walked past them and sat in his desk. "Good morning Admiral. What's with the long face?" Hayate asked cheerfully as she sat on a chair. Fate and Nanoha shook their heads as they knew that Hayate had a knack for annoying Chrono.

"I don't have time to play games with you, Commander Yagami. What do you want?" Chrono asked. Hayate stood up and smiled. "Well, we have someone here who violated the TSAB Inter-dimensional Teleportation Treaty and since you uphold the right of high justice here, it would be fitting for you to deal with this case." The brunette said. Chrono massaged his temples in annoyance. "Alright, alright. Who is it?" he asked while drinking coffee from his mug. Hayate looked from behind and nodded. Vincent and Janus pushed Al forward; the one eyed man was handcuffed and bound with white, glowing chains. "Greetings, Admiral Chrono Harlaown of TSAB. My name is Grandeur Le Fleur, Inter-dimensional Relations Commander of EDEX." Grandeur said with a smile. Chrono suddenly choked as he looked at the middle-aged woman in shock.

"What's wrong Onii-chan?" Fate asked. "Do you know her?"

"N…No, I don't know her." Chrono immediately answered. "What can I do for you?"

"You seem to have stumbled into our official records three days ago, Admiral Harlaown. Now those records are under TSAB-EDEX property; that should not have been a problem, since you are an Admiral, however, you seem to have hacked into the Salvation Council System. That vault is reserved for High Council eyes only." Grandeur said. "Therefore, you have committed a serious offense against EDEX-TSAB regulations."

"Wait just a damn minute!" Chrono said as he stood up. "What evidence do you have that point me as the one who hacked into your system?" he exclaimed. Hayate took out a device and then pressed a button on it; the hologram monitor showed Chrono and Leti Lowran using the computer. "This was taken by one of the security cameras around here. Evidently, this is the High Council System Archives. Why would you use a computer at exactly 1 in the morning?" the brunette asked. Chrono went pale in embarrassment as he sat down while Lindy gave Leti a shocked expression. "W…What? I tried to stop him!" Leti defended herself.

"Uh, hey…don't mind me. Weren't you going to judge me? I'm waiting…" Al asked in sarcasm. Fate looked at him in amusement while Chrono looked at him angrily. "Fine! I did hack into your precious system, but the only thing I got was a bunch of broken files and a system that does not even work! I did it in order to get the clues I needed about the mysterious energy readings that our areas have been getting for the past months. And what does EDEX stand for anyway? The last file said that EDEX was annihilated." The admiral said. "What? You're going to arrest me?"

"Not exactly." Grandeur said. "I'm here to make an arrangement with you." She smiled as she pushed Al to kneel down, which the latter did, grumbling. "My nephew here has committed a grave offense; he travelled here to Mid-Childa with the use of a teleportation device without any approval from TSAB. According to your regulations, the punishment for such a crime is cryo-imprisonment, but I offer a better solution."

"And what would that solution be?" Chrono asked while raising an eyebrow. Grandeur lit up a cigarette and puffed out the smoke. "EDEX or Earth's Defense against Extraterrestrials have fought the Warlocks since the Tri-GOD was created and right now, we are far too weak because of…several implications. We need the assistance of the TSAB. What I propose is this; form a coalition with us and we will deal with the Warlocks together. Agree and we will overlook your offense."

Chrono stared at her and he began to laugh. "I'm sorry but TSAB does not meddle in the affairs of Non-Administrated Worlds, especially 97, which is Earth. Besides, these things…these Warlocks can be defeated without your help. And I do not have any record or any idea of what this Tri-GOD is…" He said.

Al looked at Chrono. "Coming from the man who hacked into our system, you seem to have a small brain and a big ego." He sneered. Grandeur instantly silenced him with a kick in the head.

"Admiral, if I may speak…" Janus said all of a sudden. "These Warlocks live for one purpose only; to consume magic. Mid-Childa is the perfect place for them to thrive in. I wish to show you something that I have discovered three days ago…" the brown-haired boy said as he took out a small box. The box opened and it showed a hologram of a dark and murky place filled with Warlocks! Chrono, Fate, and Leti were all shocked with what they saw! "What…what is that place?" Chrono asked.

"This was taken underground of the TSAB Command Post in Alzas, five days before it exploded and was consumed by the Warlocks. These creatures get their energy from underneath the ground, where a potential magic source is most abundant. You cannot deny the fact that my brother here, Alexander, have saved your mages from these Warlocks twice and if he did not, then they may have already been killed, especially your little sister." Janus said as he looked at Fate. Chrono was silent for awhile as he looked at the hologram. He then looked at Fate. "Is it true Fate? That this guy saved you twice already?" he asked the blond mage.

Fate nodded. "Yes. It is true." She replied as she looked at Al. The admiral stood up and turned his back from all of them. "The damage that Mid-Childa endured during the attack hours ago could have proven fatal if it wasn't for the intervention of EDEX." Hayate finally said. "It would indeed be beneficial for us to collaborate with them."

Chrono sighed. "I don't exactly have much of a choice here. It seems you know something that I don't, Commander Yagami." He muttered. Hayate just smiled. "Let's just say that I was in the right place and at the right time. Besides, I did not become Commander of the Riot Force Six back then if I didn't have the smarts to back it up." She said confidently. Nanoha and Fate giggled while Chrono just shook his head.

"However, we are also going to have to decide on what to do with our prisoner here, since he is a member of EDEX as well. What is your name?" he asked Al.

Al looked at him with cold eyes. "My name is Alexander Lyoneid, Commander…of the Earth Defense against Extraterrestrials or EDEX, at your service, Admiral Chrono Harlaown!" he smiled sarcastically. Fate and Chrono were too shocked to speak as they looked at him in awe. "Don't be so surprised, Fate Harlaown." Vincent said as he smiled at the blond girl. "How did you think he was able to get through Mid-Childa all on his own? However, since Lady Grandeur is the Inter-Dimensional Officer, we were able to track him down here." He grinned. Fate was in deep thought as she looked at Al, who remained silent.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Chrono asked. "The leader of EDEX is currently the prisoner of TSAB. This is a strange turn of events indeed." He said as he crossed his arms. As the rest of them were talking, Yuuno went near Nanoha. "I don't know about you, but I somehow feel bad for Janus-san and Vincent-san's big brother." He said as he arranged his glasses.

"I know Yuuno-kun; he just wanted to protect Fate-chan but…" Nanoha said as she remembered everything that Grandeur told them in the heli-carrier.

* * *

**FLASHBACK – 2 hours ago, the Helix**

"_The Tri-GOD is considered the greatest creation of both EDEX and TSAB." Grandeur began as she puffed some smoke from her cigarette. "Imagine a system where the three greatest aspects of the universe were rolled into one system for the benefit of mankind. The Tri-God consisted of the Preserve System, the Life System and the Eradication System. Each system co-existed with each other. The Life System is responsible for the creation of a new universe or a new planet. The Preserve System was made to establish the flow of life within the newly created planet while the Eradication System was responsible for recycling the stage all over again. The Tri-GOD was what every man has wanted to be; the ability to create, preserve and destroy life." The middle-aged woman said as she looked outside the window of the heli-carrier._

"_N…No way…" Hayate blinked. "EDEX and TSAB created a system like that? I…I had no idea…" she stammered. Nanoha and Yuuno said nothing as Grandeur continued. "The greatest mind of EDEX, Professor Hestelle Zecherov, was not alone in the creation of the Tri-God system. He had help from the TSAB High Council, back when they were still in their physical forms. They wanted to create new planets…no, a new universe where men can live in peace and harmony in a utopia and they did manage to create a new world as an experimental stage. That world is Non-Administrated World #50. However, something happened that ended the peaceful existence of that planet. "She sighed as she took out the cigarette from her mouth and then looked at it._

"_A slight miscalculation triggered the Negative Effect on the Tri-GOD's Eradication System. Now, the Negative Effect is just like this cigarette. Use it and it is disintegrated. In order for a human being to enjoy smoking, he or she buys another stick of cigarette. But it isn't that simple for the Tri-GOD; it is considered the "perfect" deity…a god that is capable of thinking on its own. Eventually, the Tri-GOD somehow thought that the world it has made is far too "imperfect" for its own judgment. And with that kind of mentality, the Eradication System began to grow and consume magical energy until it overshadowed the other two systems. That is the Negative Effect…"_

_Hayate had a troubled look on her face. "Wait, what do you mean? That the "system" made decisions of its own? How could you create something as dangerous as that?" the brunette exclaimed. Grandeur gave her a cold glare that silenced Hayate instantly. "Dangerous? How about the Lost Logia? The Jewel Seeds? The TSAB Devices that you, Nanoha and everyone else in Mid-Childa has knowledge of? Sentient beings, whether humans, aliens, or artificial intelligence, are always embroiled in a bitter conflict between perfection and imperfection. Even the perfect Tri-GOD was not spared of such a problem. Because of the Negative Effect, the Eradication System went berserk and it started swallowing the other two systems until the very first Warlock was born." Grandeur continued as she threw away her cigarette._

"_What happened then?" Yuuno asked. Nanoha had placed a blanket for both Einhart and Vivio as the two girls slept quietly. Grandeur stood up. "The TSAB and EDEX started a campaign to stop the Tri-GOD from completely destroying Non-Administrated World #50, which was completely in vain as the tainted program started reproducing copies of itself. Professor Zecherov was blamed for everything that was happening while the TSAB High Council washed their hands clean from the project. He was incarcerated and was demanded to start working on a project that would completely stop the tainted Tri-GOD from destroying the planet. Of course, the professor blamed himself for the single miscalculation that would completely destroy the perfect planet, so he began working on another experiment. This time, he got help…from some illegal mages of the TSAB."_

"_Illegal…mages?" Hayate stammered. Grandeur nodded. "Professor Zecherov made a deal with both Precia Testarossa and Jail Scaglietti that if they gave him information with regards to their work, he would share them the secret of the Tri-GOD's power. Precia Testarossa agreed but Jail Scaglietti did not as the man was mad with ambition. However, Precia managed to give Zecherov a blueprint she stole from Scaglietti's earliest work; The Cyborg Emperor Project. By the time Precia Testarossa had already contacted Professor Zecherov, she had already perfected-"_

"_Project FATE." Yuuno said, cutting off Grandeur from talking. Hayate and Nanoha were too shocked to speak after hearing all of it. "Project FATE was the perfect solution for the Tri-GOD crisis at that time as he, himself, has seen the unlimited potential after looking at Precia's work. Not only that, Precia also gave him all the access to TSAB's forbidden technologies. With all these at his disposal, Zecherov started working. By the time that he was almost finished, the Tri-GOD has almost succeeded in destroying half of the planet." Grandeur continued while helping herself for some tea. "Care to join me for some tea?" she asked Yuuno, Nanoha and Hayate._

"_No thanks." Nanoha smiled. "I am not much of a tea person." Hayate and Yuuno politely shook their heads as well. "Suit yourself." Grandeur said as she started drinking the tea. "Now where was I? Oh, right" she said as she pressed a button on the wall of the heli-carrier. "How long before we reach the Infirmary?" she asked when the hologram of the pilot appeared. _

"_We should be there within an hour ma'am" the pilot replied. "Over and out." Grandeur replied as she sat down again. _

"_So, this Professor Zecherov…was he successful in stopping the Tri-GOD?" Yuuno asked. Grandeur shook her head. "That, I do not know. To put it simply, on the day when he was about to complete his research, the Tri-GOD annihilated the entire EDEX Command Base. The main command force of EDEX was completely destroyed as well. But to TSAB's surprise, the Tri-GOD completely disappeared. They searched for clues with the hopes of learning what exactly happened but there was nothing found within the site. Zecherov's body was never found; instead we found his last data journal and three cryogen capsules underneath the research site. Inside were three boys, alive and healthy. The remaining EDEX soldiers have found the children and quickly, they hid them from TSAB. When these boys woke up, the two did not have memories of what happened but the other one remembered the final days when Professor Zecherov sealed them off before the Tri-GOD destroyed the base. That boy…was Alexander."_

_Nanoha and Hayate's eyes widened. "Ohh…oh my…" Hayate stammered in horror. Yuuno could also hardly believe what he heard. "I was still a teenager back then, working as a laboratory assistant. I was assigned to raise the kids as if they were my own, but EDEX had other plans for them. When they were checked and placed under research, we were all shocked…because the three children have somehow "absorbed" the three systems of the Tri-GOD. Eventually, the children were formally adopted by then Commander of the EDEX, Arthur Lyoneid, which explains their identity today." Grandeur smiled._

"_No wonder that they are so effective in destroying those creatures…" Yuuno said as he crossed his arms. "But you mentioned something about them absorbing the three systems of the Tri-GOD correct?" _

_Grandeur nodded. "That's right; each of them somehow absorbed the systems of the Tri-GOD. Janus Lyoneid, the youngest, acquired the Life System, which explains why he can identify, seal, repair and even modify all types of Devices or even Lost Logia, as you call it, with ease. Because Zecherov implanted his brain with a storage chip on all the forbidden technologies of the TSAB, he is a genius with all kinds of magical devices. The middle brother, Vincent Lyoneid, is a human being modified with cybernetic enhancements based on the Cyborg Emperor Project that Zecherov perfected and he has also absorbed the Preserve System, making him invulnerable to diseases, radiation, and the elements. Asides from those qualities, he has enhanced speed, strength, stamina which makes him the predecessor of the Combat Cyborg Type Zero of Jail Scaglietti." She paused as she finally finished her tea._

"_What about Alexander Lyoneid? What is he?" Hayate asked. Grandeur did not answer first as she looked out the window. "Grandeur-san, we need to know because he seems to know something about Fate-chan. Who or what exactly is he?" Nanoha asked as well._

"_Alexander Lyoneid, the eldest of the Lyoneid brothers, is a product of Project FATE; the second to be created after Fate T. Harlaown. From whom he was cloned, we do not know. However, the one thing that concerned us all was that he acquired the Eradication System, the most feared system of the Tri-GOD. With it, he is able to use the Negative Effect to his will, making him the most powerful but potentially the most dangerous amongst the three. This is the reason why he is called the Destroyer." The middle-aged woman said. _

"_W…W…What?" Hayate exclaimed. Yuuno sat down on a chair as he shook his head. "This is insane! To think that this professor would place such a terrible burden on the three! He must have been a heartless man to do so!" he said as Nanoha placed a hand on his arm, urging him to relax. Grandeur just chuckled. "And what would you have him do, Yuuno Scrya? Just go and run away while knowing that it was his responsibility to stop the Tri-GOD from destroying everything in its path? Certain…sacrifices had to be made…and those three know this fully. Alexander knew what his father wanted and he told his brothers about each of their missions. But most importantly, that boy knew that it was his sacred vow to protect Fate T. Harlaown from the Warlocks no matter what…" _

"_Why? What is Fate-chan's involvement with the Tri-GOD or with the late Professor Zecherov?" Nanoha asked. "I…I honestly don't know…" Grandeur said. "Only Alexander knows about it and he is too damn stubborn to tell me about it. In any case, he seems to be able to control the Negative Effect too damn well as long as his left eye is covered with that specially-made eye patch."_

"_What's so special about his left eye?" Hayate asked, regaining her composure. "Well, his left eye holds a special device given and passed on by very old and very powerful EDEX commander who specializes in spell-breaking. He wanted Alexander to become his successor in destroying Warlocks; an offer that the stubborn fool didn't hesitate to accept. However, for this to work his left eye needs the eye patch to stop it from releasing spell-breaking energy within himself or else he will lose control of the Negative Effect flowing inside his body. If that ever happens, then what happened in Non-Administrated World No. 50 will repeat itself!" _

_Hayate, Nanoha and Yuuno were stunned as they imagined Mid-Childa and even Earth burning and destroyed. "This is valuable information indeed. We need to inform the admiral about this at once." Yuuno said. Hayate just sighed. "I think we will need to tell Fate-chan about this as well, since it does concern her too. But one thing that still bugs me is that clown. Teskelon, was it?" she said as she looked at Nanoha. "That clown said something about Master Zealot. Do you know anything about it?" the commander asked as she looked at Grandeur. _

_The purple-haired woman nodded. "3 years ago, Alexander was assigned to track down a renegade EDEX scientist who experimented with Warlock DNA. This scientist called himself as Zealot and he wanted to use the Warlocks as his own private army. However, Alexander cornered him in an abandoned oil storage area and the fight caused the entire area to blow up. We were sure that Zealot died but it turned out that Alexander was right. Now, he's bent on continuing his research on the Warlocks and is doing it right here in Mid-childa. For this reason alone, we have to work together as quickly as we can before it's too late!"_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

"I have a suggestion, if you don't mind at all Admiral Harlaown…" Yuuno suddenly raised his hand. Chrono looked at Yuuno and smirked. "Oh? You're still here?" he grinned. Yuuno just dismissed his teasing. "We are facing a very difficult situation here and both EDEX and TSAB must work together in order to defend Mid-Childa and stop the Warlocks. How about we let Commander Alexander Lyoneid train the members of Riot Force Six in fighting the Warlocks effectively? And in our part, we create a coalition force with EDEX and let them use some of our facilities here in Mid-Childa, as well as give them access to some of our equipment and data concerning our past research. The Infinite Library is more than welcome to help too." He said.

Hayate thought for awhile. "Well, your suggestion doesn't seem like a bad idea, Yuuno-kun. And the Riot Force Six does need some shaping up after years of inactive duty." She sighed. Fate and Nanoha both nodded in agreement. "It seems that a decision has been made, with little choice though." Chrono sighed. "So, what do you say, Commander Lyoneid? Will you accept our terms?" he asked. Alexander looked at all of them carefully. When he saw Fate looking at him, he sighed. "I have never dreamed that this day will come…" he muttered angrily. Vincent gave a grin. "C'mon brother, it won't be that bad. I've seen them fight and they seem to know what they are doing!" he said.

"Well, fighting Warlocks takes a lot more than skill." Alexander muttered. "I will agree to your terms, Admiral Harlaown, but I wish to nominate Commander Hayate Yagami as the commanding officer of the Coalition Force."

"Huh? Me? Really?" Hayate said in shock. Fate just giggled. "I think it's a great idea. She has had enough experience in tactical decisions." Hayate started laughing. "Well, if you say so…" she said.

"In that case, I will be in-charge of Intelligence." Grandeur said. "I would like to request the assistance of the Enforcers with regards to this matter, as I have more than enough data to help us with learning more about our enemy."

"It would certainly be a pleasure." Nanoha replied.

"I wish to bring in some of my equipment that I need to use from Earth here inside the TSAB Command." Janus said as he arranged his glasses. "With your approval, I can upgrade, repair and maintain any kind of device that our forces may need to use."

Chrono nodded. "You have my permission. Commander Hayate Yagami, see to it that this is followed."

"Yes sir." Hayate smiled as she faked a salute. Nanoha gave a giggle as Chrono groaned. "Well then, I've already agreed to your so-called terms; can you untie me now?" Alexander looked at Janus. "Oh, right! Sorry!" Janus said as he retracted his white chains. Alexander stood up and moved his arms to relax. When his eyes met Fate, the beautiful blond mage gave him a smile; he instantly moved his eyes away from her, blushing. Janus saw this and he instantly gave a sly grin, which Hayate also noticed at once.

"In any case…" Chrono said. "The EDEX-TSAB Coalition is officially formed. I do hope that this will work…" he said while shaking his head. Lindy just giggled while Leti shook her head as well. Alexander turned around and started walking towards the door. "Hey! Where are you going?" Grandeur exclaimed. Alexander stopped and looked at her.

"Tell the Riot Force Six members that training starts tomorrow at exactly 0300 hours." He said. "No one is exempted; the captain, vice-captain, everyone! Including you and Janus!" he exclaimed looking at Vincent and Janus. He then walked out from the room. Vincent and Janus just looked at him while Grandeur gritted her teeth. Fate then stood near Janus. "Is he really like that? I mean is Al-san really like that?" she asked.

Janus looked at her in surprise. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Fate asked. "Oh, no! It's just that…the only person ever to call him Al was our father, Dr. Zecherov…well, at least that's what he tells us…" the brown haired guy said. "But to answer your question; yes, he is always like that. But don't worry; it seems he really has a soft spot for you." he said with a smile. Fate looked very surprised as a blush stained her cheeks. "I…I see…" she said.

Nanoha smiled as she pulled her hand. "Fate-chan, I think you, me and Hayate-chan need to talk. There are things that I am sure you would want to know about what's happening right now."

"Yes. You're absolutely right." Fate said when she remembered what Swordheart have said to her. "Then allow me to accompany you girls as I am sure that Ms. Harlaown looks like she has a lot of questions, since she is quite a famous Enforcer…" Grandeur said. "Oh, uh…thank you…" Fate replied.

"Arrgh! Does this mean that we are going to have to help big brother Alexander tomorrow? What a pain! I wanted to go out tomorrow and enjoy Mid-childan hospitality." Vincent said. "Oh well… I better get something to eat. Is there a cafeteria nearby?" he asked Yuuno. "Yeah, just go south and then turn left. You'll see the lots of people there. You shouldn't miss it." Yuuno replied. Nanoha gave Yuuno's arm a nudge. "Why don't you go with Vincent-san and show him around the base, Yuuno-kun?" Nanoha whispered. Yuuno looked at her and then understood what she meant. "On second thought, I'll join you Vincent-san. My treat." Yuuno said.

"Wah! Cool! You're a great guy, Yuuno!" Vincent grinned as he ran out the room with Yuuno following behind him. Grandeur chuckled. "I sure wish Mr. Scrya didn't say that he would treat Vincent; that buffoon eats like a pig!" the woman said. "In any case, I'm glad that this turned out well. Thank you so much for your cooperation, Admiral Chrono Harlaown." Grandeur said as she gave a low bow.

"Glad to have been of help." Chrono said. "However, I wish to know more about the file that I…uh…" he paused when Lindy gave him a threatening look. "…well, the file that I hacked…it contained another program that seemed broken. Do you think Janus-san might be able to restore it to its original state?"

"If its official EDEX data, then it should be something that I couldn't handle. I just need the access code for the database mainframe of your computer and the files that went with the program that you extracted." Janus said as he walked towards Chrono's computer. Lindy watched in amazement as Janus and Chrono talked. "These nephew of yours are amazing, Grandeur-san." She said. "I'm sure that you are very proud of them."

Grandeur smiled. "If only their father could see them now." She said.

* * *

**TSAB COMMAND BASE, 3rd Floor**

Alexander stood in the porch that was overlooking Mid-Childa. "Father, did I do the right thing?" he thought to himself. He then sensed someone behind him, standing and looking at him.

"Strange of you to approach me on your own…" he said as he faced the one who stood behind him. Signum looked at him quietly. She was wearing civilian clothes and her right arm was placed on a cast. Alexander just looked at her curiously. "Well, what do you want? Are you going to stand there, looking at me?" he said. Suddenly, Signum fell on her knees!

"Teach me to become stronger!" the pink-haired Belkan knight exclaimed as she bowed down. Alexander was shocked with what she said. "With my current state…I can hardly protect anyone from the Warlocks. I wish to train under your guidance. Teach me to become as fast and powerful as you! I beg of you!" Signum said. The cold wind blew as Alexander looked at her quietly.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's notes:** Yahoooo! Another chapter finished! Watch out for the next chapter for more action, adventure, and...collaboration between Hayate and Janus? LOL! Stay tuned! Thanks for the reviews and for reading!


	8. Part 7 Training

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"I don't have time to play games with you, Commander Yagami. What do you want?" Chrono asked. Hayate stood up and smiled. "Well, we have someone here who violated the TSAB Inter-dimensional Teleportation Treaty and since you uphold the right of high justice here, it would be fitting for you to deal with this case." The brunette said. _

* * *

_"__The Tri-GOD is considered the greatest creation of both EDEX and TSAB."_

* * *

___"3 years ago, Alexander was assigned to track down a renegade EDEX scientist who experimented with Warlock DNA. This scientist called himself as Zealot and he wanted to use the Warlocks as his own private army. However, Alexander cornered him in an abandoned oil storage area and the fight caused the entire area to blow up. We were sure that Zealot died but it turned out that Alexander was right. Now, he's bent on continuing his research on the Warlocks and is doing it right here in Mid-childa. For this reason alone, we have to work together as quickly as we can before it's too late!"_

* * *

_"Teach me to become stronger!" the pink-haired Belkan knight exclaimed as she bowed down. Alexander was shocked with what she said. "With my current state…I can hardly protect anyone from the Warlocks. I wish to train under your guidance. Teach me to become as fast and powerful as you! I beg of you!" Signum said. _

* * *

**Part 7 – Training**

Alexander looked at Signum in disbelief. Surely, he knew Signum the Belkan knight of the Wolkenritter was too proud to admit defeat, even in her days when Hayate Yagami and her fellow knights were hunted by TSAB back in the days, but to see her bow down before him, asking him to help her is beyond his comprehension. He shook his head. "You want me to help you become stronger? What makes you think I'm qualified to help you out?" Alexander asked.

"You defeated the Warlocks easily and have fought against a powerful enemy recently. You have proven to be far superior in terms of combat and strength against our new enemy. I am not asking you; I am begging you to aid me in improving myself in battle." Signum replied whole-heartedly. Alexander gritted his teeth as he walked past her. The pink-haired Belkan bowed her head, her face carved with disgust and anger when she noticed that Al have stopped walking.

"Be ready tomorrow. I will make you regret your words today." The one-eyed man said. Signum was surprised to hear him say this! "Now get up and go back to bed. Your wounds might open up!" Al exclaimed. Signum stood up immediately and faced him. "Thank you for this opportunity, Lyoneid-san. I assure you, I will do my best to follow your instructions." She said.

"I do not require obedience, I require dedication." Al said as he walked away. Signum cleared her throat as she looked behind her. She saw Fate Testarossa Harlaown leaning against a pillar, as if she has just finished overhearing the conversation. "How long have you been listening, Captain Harlaown?" Signum asked. Fate went near her and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Listen, Signum-san…you don't have to feel responsible for what happened earlier. I have also failed in protecting you, Zafira-san and Vita-chan. Please forgive me." Fate said as she made a low bow.

"No, it is not your fault. I was too weak to admit my stupidity." Signum replied. "It is quite strange though for Lyoneid-san to accept my request. Perhaps he isn't as cold-hearted as I have thought."

Fate looked at Al's back as the man walked farther away. "I guess I also have to ask him about Zealot." The blonde mage thought. "But how do you start talking to someone like him?"

* * *

**TSAB Command Center, Intelligent Device Laboratory**

Teana Lanster and Shari Fineno stared at the different types of machineries and gadgets that were placed inside the TSAB Device Laboratory. "What the heck is going on?" Teana exclaimed as she looked at the gadgets in confusion. "Did TSAB order a major upgrade with all of its facilities?"

"No, I don't think so." Shari calmly replied as she looked at the machines. "These don't seem to be from Mid-Childa." She said further as she inspected the gadgets. "I wonder who brought them here inside the laboratory."

"I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. Those machines are really expensive and are EDEX property." Janus Lyoneid said politely as he entered the laboratory. Teana and Shari were surprised to see him walk inside the laboratory as if he owned the place. "My name is Janus Lyoneid, Device Meister of EDEX. You must be Ms. Shari Fineno?" Janus said as he offered a handshake. Shari bashfully accepted the gesture. "Oh, yes. Nice to meet you, Lyoneid-san…" she replied.

"Please call me Janus. We are going to be working together from now on, so it would be more comfortable for both of us if we address each other by our first names. And you must be Ms. Teana Lanster, a fellow Enforcer like Fate Harlaown. Pleasure to meet you." Janus smiled at Teana. The Riot Force Six sniper was surprised. "Uh…nice to meet you as well, Lyoneid-san. I mean, Janus-kun!" she quickly corrected herself. Janus gave a heartwarming smile that made Shari blush in embarrassment.

"I trust that Admiral Chrono Harlaown have already told you of what had happened." Janus said. Shari and Teana nodded. "This is the first time I have heard of TSAB collaborating with an agency from a Non-Administrated World. This is quite strange for me. But what's in the Device Laboratory is at your disposal at well. Please tell me as to how I can be of assistance." Shari said.

Janus shook his head and grinned. "I think it is I who needs to ask for your assistance. While I may be a Device Meister for EDEX, it is most efficient to collaborate with a fellow Device Meister from TSAB. The devices that I have installed here in your laboratory have the ability to upgrade any type of Device that needs major improvement. For example, your Device definitely needs an upgrade, Ms. Lanster. It only uses 60 to 65 percent of the recommended output for an Intelligent Device; a true weapon uses 80 to 85 percent for optimum performance." The man said as he arranged his glasses.

Teana had a look of disbelief while Shari's eyes beamed with excitement. "Is that even possible?" the bespectacled Device Meister exclaimed. Janus crossed his arms. "Of course it's possible. How did you think I was able to create a strong yet durable Armed Device for my older brother Vincent?" he grinned.

"Brother?" Teana asked.

"Yes. Two of my brothers are here as well. Vincent is in the cafeteria while Alexander is…somewhere inside the building, I think." Janus said. Teana and Shari looked at each other.

"Is something the matter?" Janus asked in concern.

Teana smiled. "Oh, nothing is wrong. It's just that…you are not like Alexander Lyoneid at all, which is surprising." She chuckled.

Janus smirked and began to laugh heartily. "Oh, I know what you mean. Big brother Alexander may seem cold and unapproachable, but he's actually a great person. Sure, he frowns all the time and may even be rude, but he's someone that you can talk to about everything. Just don't mention anything about Warlocks though." he chuckled.

Shari and Teana nodded in unison. "Very well then, shall we proceed?" Janus asked.

* * *

**The next day, TSAB Headquarters Rooftop…**

Fate yawned as she walked out from the door. "Wow, it's so cold today." She whispered. She was wearing her exercise outfit since it's been her habit of working out in the rooftop of the TSAB headquarters. However, she noticed that someone else was using the rooftop as well. To her surprise, it was Alexander Lyoneid, standing in the middle of the rooftop and holding a sword; a ninjato to be exact. Instead of going over to talk to him, Fate decided to watch him with curiosity. She noticed that the man's only eye was closed and he seemed relaxed while holding his weapon. He was wearing white shirt and track pants.

All of a sudden, Al's right eye opened. Fate noticed a hovering object fly past Al on his left, which the man dodged with great speed. Al crouched and suddenly disappeared before Fate's eyes and reappeared seconds later behind the hovering object. The floating machine beeped and exploded as it was cut in half! Fate gasped with what she saw, which earned the attention of the one-eyed EDEX commander.

"I see that you are awake already." Al said as he placed his sword back in its scabbard. Fate nodded as she made a low bow. "Good morning to you, Lyoneid-san." The blonde mage said.

"Good morning…" Al replied. "It's still too early for the training session."

"I know, but you see, I always come here to exercise and train with Bardiche." Fate replied with a smile. Al silently nodded. "Oh, I apologize if I have disturbed you with your training. Please go on and continue. I will wait for my turn." said the captain of the Lightning Squad.

"No need. I'm already done." Al said as he grabbed a towel and began to dry himself.

Fate blinked. "You…you're done? Are you sure?" she asked.

Al nodded. "I started training here at 1 in the morning. It's already 4 am and I need to get ready for the trainees."

"1 am? You've been awake all night?" Fate gasped. "Why didn't you sleep at all?"

"I would just be wasting my time if I slept." Al replied as he walked past her.

Fate walked in front of him and pouted. "Sleeping is very important if you wish to be at your tip-top shape in the morning. If you neglect sleeping, then you'll feel all weak and sleepy the whole day." She said. Al looked at her curiously. Fate stared at him at him as well with a cute pout on her face. Alexander just sighed.

"Well, it's not like there's anything that I can do about it. It's already 4:15 and training starts a few minutes from now." He said.

However, Fate continued to stare at him. Al was now feeling uneasy. He tried moving to the left side but Fate would block his way again. Finally, he slapped his right hand unto his face as a sign of irritation.

Fate smiled. She found it amusing to see that Al also had his unusual side. Nanoha would use this trick on her whenever her best friend would see her working even during holidays and weekends. It never failed to give in to Nanoha's constant advice about "taking a break", which is why she also uses it on those whom she thinks are workaholic.

"Please listen, Lyoneid-san…" Fate said. "Grandeur-san already told me everything; what happened between you and your brothers, about the Tri-GOD project and what happened between EDEX and TSAB years before was really horrible. What I mean is that... I would just like to ask for forgiveness. My late mother, Precia Testarossa, has once again caused great pain to innocent people. " she bitterly said.

"There is nothing to apologize for." Al replied. "Father asked for her input. They were old friends, even way back before Project FATE or the Tri-GOD Project. The one who is to be blamed in all this mess are Zealot and his minions. They are a threat to Mid-childa and Earth, most especially towards you." He said as he placed his towel inside his bag.

"Lyoneid-san, please tell me…what does Zealot want with me? The swordsman that attacked us in the Infirmary claimed that I am the key to the Tri-GOD's resurrection. What does he mean? What is my connection with the monster that almost destroyed a world and ruined you and your brother's lives?" Fate exclaimed. Alexander just turned around and looked at her with a calm gaze.

"I can't tell you that information yet." The one-eyed man replied. "But I can assure you that when the right time comes, I will tell you everything."

"But-"Fate tried to object, however, Alexander have placed his hand on her right shoulder.

"No matter what happens, I won't let Zealot or any of his tainted minions get near you or your friends…you have my promise!" Al said with his left eye gleaming dangerously red.

Fate wasn't able to say anything as she watched him walk back inside the building, leaving her in the rooftops on her own. The wind blew softly upon her as she watched the sun slowly rise up in the horizon.

"Alexander Lyoneid…" Fate whispered. "I'm finally starting to understand you. You are..." she paused as she looked up in the sky.

* * *

**Hours later, TSAB Headquarters Rooftop….**

"So…is everyone here?" Nanoha asked as she looked at Teana, Subaru, Erio, and Caro. Signum and Vita were also with them. "Really, Vita-chan, you should have stayed back in the infirmary, like what Shamal-san had told you to. You are still recovering from your injuries." Nanoha observed.

"Not a chance. I need to improve if I want to get even with that swordsman!" Vita yelled. Fate and Signum looked at each other. "Vita-chan is still as stubborn as ever." the Lightning Squad captain giggled, earning a blush and a scowl from the red-haired girl.

"Alrighty! I'm ready!" Subaru yelled with excitement. "Let's start the training!"

"Pipe down, will you?" Teana exclaimed. Subaru flashed a peace sign at her partner while Erio and Caro looked at them, laughing. "It's been such a long time since we've had a good training session together, right Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked her blonde friend.

"Seems like it." Fate replied.

Just then, Alexander appeared, holding a wooden sword. "Line up, ladies!" he exclaimed. All of them fixed their eyes on the one-eyed trainer. He looked at all of them with his same cold gaze. "Welcome to your first training day. I will be your instructor and I expect everyone to cooperate, for all of your sakes. As your trainer, I only have one and one rule only." as he raised his hand, showing a single finger. "Always remember to ask questions." he said.

The Riot Force members nodded in agreement. Al crossed his hands on his chest.

"Now, I want all of you to get this stuck into your head. Warlocks require magic to survive; take out their magic source and they are good as dead. When fighting against Warlocks, avoid using too much close-combat spells. This will give them the opportunity to absorb magical energy through your Intelligent Devices. Did you get it so far?" Al asked after his lecture.

Teana raised her hand. "Why don't we use long ranged spells? I'm pretty sure my Starlight Breaker will incinerate these beasts to little pieces…" she asked.

"Oh, that is a great idea Teana-chan!" Subaru grinned.

Al snorted. "You'll need approximately 2 to 3 minutes before your Intelligent Device can activate Starlight Breaker. Ms. Takamachi's Raising Heart needs a full minute to use the same spell. A full minute gives a single Warlock enough time to evade the attack, so how much more if you encounter five or ten of these monsters?" he asked. Teana and Subaru fell silent after hearing Al's lecture.

"However…" Al continued. "If we are to improve your speed when it comes to your spells, it should give you guys enough chance to use high level ranged attacks. But we'll get to that. Now, any other questions?" he asked again. While the rest of the Riot Force members were having a discussion, Fate looked at Al with a curious gaze. Nanoha saw her best friend and she softly nudged Fate's side.

"Wow. He really knows what he's doing…" Nanoha mused. "No wonder he's the leader. He really seems to be the calculating and observing type."

Fate nodded. "I agree. It's a little surprising though. I actually thought he would be a very cold mentor but…" she paused when she saw Al kneeling down to pat Friedrich as he discussed something with Erio and Caro.

"I hate to admit it but he seems pretty much dependable." Vita suddenly said. Fate and Nanoha looked behind and saw the two Wolkenritter members standing behind them. "He might be cold and filled with so much anger and vengeance, but Lyoneid-san does have a gentle heart." Signum commented.

"He's been through such terrible times that he forgets how to become a warm-hearted human being…" Fate said. She then remembered the times when she was still a young girl; her experiences under her cruel mother and her meeting with Nanoha, as well as the battles they fought and the people they met along the way. As she continued reminiscing, an idea began to form inside her head. And the more she thought about it, the more the idea grew inside her head and her heart as well.

"Hello? Fate-chan? Are you alright?" Nanoha asked.

"Oh, I'm just fine." Fate replied. "I was just thinking about something."

Nanoha just shrugged. "Ok. It seems they are just about to start." the ponytailed brunette remarked. Al stood up and held his wooden sword. "For today, let's start with something basic." he said as he walked away from the group and positioned himself in the center of the rooftop. Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro cautiously looked at their mentor while Al looked at them.

"Anubis." he whispered. The black wolf instantly appeared beside him.

"Yes, Master?" the wolf asked. Al closed his eyes and raised his right arm. He opened his palm at Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro. "_Alica Obfirmo_" he said. The four Riot Force 6 members were shocked when a black light flashed from their necks.

"What the heck is this?" Teana asked as she noticed a collar on her neck.

Anubis stepped forward. "That is Spell Lock, a special seal made by Master Alexander to prevent all of you from using your Intelligent Devices. Your first training involves speed and I shall be the one to test all of you. If you managed to pass, which I am sure you won't, then Master will deactivate the spell throughout the training. But if you all fail, then Spell Lock will remain in your young bodies for the rest of the training." the dog explained.

Erio and Caro were shocked. "Wait, wait! Why the heck would you stop us from using our Intelligence Device?" Subaru yelled. "And also, why is this dog talking as if he is going to be our trainer?" Suddenly, Anubis disappeared from all of them and reappeared behind Subaru! The wolf kicked Subaru down on the ground with his hind legs, leaving Teana and the rest in complete shock.

"That's because Anubis will train all of you in enhancing your speed without using your Intelligence Device." Al replied. "And I suggest that you keep your eyes sharp, because he's right behind you Teana." he smiled at Teana. The girl's eyes widened as she turned around; Anubis appeared in front of her and the wolf rammed its head unto her stomach!

"Teana-chan!" Subaru yelled as Teana fell on the ground, wincing in pain. Erio and Caro ran towards their fallen teammate while Anubis snorted. "Distraction will let the Warlocks take advantage of your weaknesses! Focus and watch their movement!" the wolf yelled.

While Anubis and the Riot Force Six were busy with their training, Nanoha, Fate, Signum and Vita were watching the whole thing. "Here I thought that Nanoha-chan was really strict when it comes to training, now this Lyoneid-san is waaay strict than I ever thought!" Vita said. Fate giggled while Nanoha just sighed. "Is it so wrong to be strict during training sessions?" the ponytailed brunette complained.

"As long as the students learn, then it is the right of the teacher to be as strict as he or she can." Al replied. "Those four need all the help they can get in order to defeat and protect Mid-childa against the Warlock threat."

"Indeed." Signum nodded. Fate also nodded in agreement. She stepped forward and made a low bow before Alexander. "Before we start the training, Al-san, I wish to say thank you for training us personally." the blonde said. Al just looked sideways with a small blush on his cheeks. "I…It's no problem at all." he replied. Nanoha noticed this and she smirked.

"Are you all ready?" Al asked.

"Yup." Nanoha said. "We are all ready."

Al summoned his demonic blade, Samael while the four girls transformed into their magical forms. Nanoha, Fate, Signum and Vita instantly surrounded the one-eyed man, ready to engage him. "If that is the case, let the real training begin." Al grinned.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED...)**

**Author's Notes: **I wish to apologize for the really long and agonizing delay; so many things have happened (one is that my PC crashed!) and I really didn't have the time to finish this chapter up. However, since my schedule is now good and my PC is finally back on its feet again, expect more chapters for the next weeks to come! Keep reading!


	9. Part 8 Celestial Starlight Breaker

**Previously, on Magical Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"Be ready tomorrow. I will make you regret your words today."_

* * *

_ "My name is Janus Lyoneid, Device Meister of EDEX. You must be Ms. Shari Fineno?" Janus said as he offered a handshake. Shari bashfully accepted the gesture. "Oh, yes. Nice to meet you, Lyoneid-san…" she replied._

* * *

_Al nodded. "I started training here at 1 in the morning. It's already 4 am and I need to get ready for the trainees."_

_"1 am? You've been awake all night?" Fate gasped. "Why didn't you sleep at all?"_

* * *

_"As long as the students learn, then it is the right of the teacher to be as strict as he or she can." Al replied. "Those four need all the help they can get in order to defeat and protect Mid-childa against the Warlock threat."_

* * *

**Part 8 – Celestial Starlight Breaker**

**Mid-Childa, TSAB Headquarters Training Grounds. 4 days after the Warlock attack in Mid-childa...**

"That was the worst team formation that I have ever seen! You girls are truly getting rusty." Anubis said as he sat casually while Subaru, Teana, Caro and Erio were on all fours, panting. "If this was a real battle, then all four of you are Warlock barbeque" the wolf continued as he licked his paws. It was already the 4th day of training for the Riot Force Six and Anubis have been busy training them

"S..Shut up, you dog!" Teana yelled, "If only we have our Intelligent Device, we would have easily defeated you!" the sniper yelled. Subaru groaned as she sat on the ground while Erio helped Cario stand up.

"While it is true that you're team formation is bad, I have to admit that your speed and reflexes are improving. Subaru and Teana, great job on dodging my speed attacks. Erio, your thrusts are in good timing while Caro, your coordination with Friedrich was good as well. Keep it up!" Anubis said. Subaru and the rest were surprised with what the wolf had told them.

"Well, I do feel something strange ever since we have had this collar in our necks." Subaru said. "It's as if I feel lighter day by day."

"You will feel the effects of the collar after a few weeks time. But that's not even the half of it." Anubis explained. "That collar is designed to generate your full magic potential, so the more you work, the more powerful your magic grows within you. If you feel that way, Subaru, it means that your magical energy have grown significantly."

Erio stood up. "I wonder how Fate-san, Nanoha-san and the lieutenants are doing?" he mused.

**"STARLIGHT BREAKER!"** a voice rang as a powerful explosion rocked the training grounds. Subaru and Teana slumped down on the ground while Caro held on to Erio for support.

"Does that answer your question?" Anubis replied.

"What the heck was that? Did Captain Takamachi just use Starlight Breaker?" Teana asked.

"Watch out!" Subaru yelled as she pulled Teana and Caro while Erio jumped away in the opposite direction as a cloud of dust passed right in the middle of them! When they looked at who it was, it was Al and Signum, crossing swords with each other at full speed! Steel crossed with steel as Signum rapidly attacked Al with a series of powerful thrusts and slashes while Al ducked and parried her attacks.

"Impressive. Your attacks are well coordinated and they seem much stronger now." Al said as he blocked Signum's attack. "However, how far will you go when you and Swordheart collide?"

"We will just have to find the answer to that soon, won't we?" Signum replied. "But in the meantime.. VITA! DO IT NOW!" the pink-haired Belkan knight yelled! Al quickly looked behind him as Vita dashed towards his back with Graf Eisen in her hands!

**" Plasma Pile!"** Vita yelled as her energy blade attack struck Al's back! The one-eyed commander of the E.D.E.X was thrown in mid-air when Fate and Signum suddenly appeared by his side!

"Let's do it, Signum-san!" Fate exclaimed as she held Bardiche in her Sonic form!

"Yes! Time for our combination attack!" Signum replied as she grasped Levatein tight.

**"CRIMSON LIGHTNING ROULETTE!"** Signum and Fate yelled as the two attacked Al in a flurry of slashes that resembled like bright lights hitting Al's body! Al yelled in pain as his body was completely hit by the combination attack.

"WHOA!" Subaru exclaimed as her eyes widened in surprise. "Capt. Harlaown and Lt. Signum are really fast!"

"No kidding! It seems Al-san is really in a lot of trouble!" Erio said to Anubis. "Shouldn't we stop their match, Anubis-san?"

"No. Master Alexander will surely get angry if I do that. You youngsters watch how intensive the results of the training is. This fight will give you a glimpse of what to expect a few days from now." Anubis said.

"HYAAH!" Signum and Fate shouted in unison as they unleashed a strong attack upon Al, throwing the boy towards the ground! The earth below shook as large clouds of dust swirled and encircled the place where Al was thrown. Fate immediately turned around.

"NANOHA! DO IT NOW!" she yelled. Subaru and the rest turned upward and all of them saw Nanoha holding Raising Heart Excellion and pointed to where Al was thrown. The brunette was now gathering magical energy and concentrated at the tip of her Intelligent Device!

"I'm sorry Al-san!" Nanoha yelled. "Raising Heart!"

"Standby Ready!" the Intelligent Device responded. Suddenly, four shining pink orbs floated around Nanoha, sparkling with energy as if ready to burst!

**"CELESTIAL!"**

"Oh oh..." Subaru shuddered.

**"STARLIGHT!"**

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Teana yelled as she and Subaru dashed out of the training field, together with Erio and Caro. However, Anubis simply remained right on the spot.

**"BREAKER!"** Nanoha yelled as highly concentrated energy beam blasted down towards the field, erupting a gigantic explosion within the site where Al was thrown off! This wasn't enough though, as the four pink orbs fell down all together, creating a sonic boom that obliterated the ground once more. Signum, Vita and Fate shielded their eyes as dust flew around the training field. Meanwhile, Signum and Teana were seen on the ground, as if they were blown away by an explosion. Erio gasped as his head appeared from a small foxhole together with Caro as Friedrich landed on top of her head.

"That...was...really scary..." Teana shuddered.

"You said it." Subaru sighed.

"Captain Takamachi-san is such a training maniac!" Erio said.

"Poor Al-san..." Caro replied.

Meanwhile, Fate and her companions went near Nanoha. "Uh oh, I may have overdone it again!" Nanoha exclaimed worriedly.

"Yes, you did." Vita said but Fate pouted at her. "Oh, I mean, come on, the guy's really tough! He should be able to handle that!" the redhead instantly changed the subject.

The four girls waited until the cloud of dust cleared out.

"Uh, he's not coming out." Vita said.

"Oh no! I may have killed him!" Nanoha exclaimed in panic.

"Alright, calm down! Let me contact the Infirmary, just in case." Fate said.

"No, not yet!" Signum suddenly said. "Look down below!"

Nanoha and Fate were shocked to see Al still standing while holding a gigantic black shield from his left arm. The middle of the shield was adorned with a single red eye in the middle with a large mouth with sharp, jagged teeth. The mouth was smiling as if it was grinning at the girls!

"What the?" Vita muttered.

"Suscitiato Behemoth... Everto Contego... (Awaken Behemoth... Shield Demon)" Al whispered. The weird-looking shield's mouth suddenly expanded as if it was trying to spit out something!

"Navitas Pondero! (Energy Reflect!)" Al yelled as the mouth finally opened with a concentrated black energy! Fortunately, Nanoha and Fate were able to evade, as well as Signum and Vita! A massive explosion rocked the skies as Subaru and the rest of Riot Force 6 looked on.

"N..No way... He's still alive?" Teana muttered, stuttering. The shield finally disappeared but Al immediately kneeled down, panting. Blood began to drip from his forehead.

"He's wounded!" Nanoha yelled as she and Fate hurriedly flew down on the ground, followed by Signum and Vita. Subaru and the others followed them as well.

"Al-san! Are you alright?" Fate asked worriedly.

"I'm alright. Let's continue with the training." Al replied as he tried to stand up; however, he began coughing up blood. Subaru and Teana were shocked, as well as Caro and Erio!

"No! You are not alright! You're bleeding!" Fate exclaimed! "You are seriously hurt! Signum, call the Infirmary at once!"

"Got it." Signum said as she turned around.

"I'm so sorry Al-san! I didn't-" Nanoha was stuttering incoherently.

"No, it's fine Nanoha. It's not your fault. I can still go on..." Al muttered.

"Master, you know very well the limits of your body. You've been training for 3 days without rest. " Anubis said. Al did not reply as he forced himself to stand up. He started walking when he stumbled down on the ground and lost consciousness!

"AL-SAN!" Nanoha and Fate both yelled as the girls and Erio dashed towards the unconscious man. With all that happened, they did not notice a black insect that was flying nearby, as if it was watching them for a long time. The insect suddenly took flight and hastily went away.

* * *

**Mid Childa, TSAB Headquarters, Intelligent Device Laboratory**

"What? Alexander-san lost consciousness?" Shari gasped.

"Yes. He took Nanoha-san's new attack head on and lost consciousness. Fortunately, Shamal-san said that his injuries were not that severe. He just needs a few days rest. We were all shocked as to how he is still alive after taking on Nanoha-san's new attack!" Teana replied. Shari was looking at the communications panel while behind her was Janus Lyoneid, typing on another panel.

"Ummm, Janus-san... I'm sure you have heard what Teana-chan said..." Shari said.

"Don't worry, I heard it alright." Janus waived his hand but his attention was still in the panel. "Of course, my brother would get hurt because of Capt. Takamachi's new attack. I made a few special "tweaks" on Raising Heart when I repaired her, so I am not that surprised the Device would be that powerful." Janus chuckled. Shari and Teana felt the hair from their bodies rise up when they heard the word "special tweaks".

"B...But your brother? Aren't you worried about him?" Shari asked.

"Big brother Al knows exactly what he is doing. Besides, he won't die from an attack like that. He's too stubborn. And also, he needs to protect Capt. Harlaown as she is still under threat from Zealot." Janus said as he finished typing on the panel. He then pushed a green circle button from his right side and a hologram image of Subaru's Mach Calibre appeared. Teana and Shari curiously looked on as Janus

"Excuse me Janus-san, but what are you doing?" Teana asked. Janus turned around and smiled at the sniper. "Ohh, I'm just reinforcing Subaru Nakajima's Intelligent Device, that is all." He grinned.

"W..What?" Teana gasped. "B...But reinforcing an Intelligent Device requires a lot of funding! Where did we get the budget for that?"

"Oh, it's free Teana-chan! E.D.E.X was kind enough to give us more than enough materials to upgrade all of Riot Force Six's current arsenal, so naturally, Janus-kun and I decided to reinforce most of your gear." Shari smiled.

"Great! This will really improve our fighting level!" Teana smiled.

"We need the best weapons and armor if we are to win the fight against Zealot and his Warlocks. " Janus replied. "So from now on, I, Janus Lyoneid, will take care of all your Intelligent Devices. With a little help from Shari, of course." He grinned at Shari. Shari immediately blushed as she bowed her head gratefully.

"Of course! I shall help you in any way I can, Janus-kun! You can count on me!" the girl replied.

Teana simply giggled at the thought of the two Device Meisters getting close.

* * *

**TSAB Infirmary, at that very moment...**

Alexander Lyoneid opened his eyes. He felt pain all over his body as he slowly moved and sat on the bed. He touched his forehead. "Urgh..." he groaned. "What just happened to me?"

"You overdid it again, you fool." Grandeur exclaimed as she opened the curtain that separated his bed from the outside. Alexander immediately frowned as he slumped back into bed.

"You've been using your abilities too much for the past few days. I told you not to overexert yourself. You never listen!" Grandeur said in an annoyed voice. "And what's worse, you fell down unconsicous in front of Fate and the others. Aren't you ashamed of your own weakness?"

Al glared at her. "I did not ask for your opinion, old woman..." he plainly said. "Please go and die somewhere else."

Grandeur began shaking in anger as a vein popped from her head. "You are pushing your luck boy!" she growled. However, she calmed down when Fate entered the room, carrying a small tray of food and water. Al was surprised to see the captain of the Lightning Squad inside the room.

"Hello Grandeur-san! Have you come to visit Al-san? I apologize, but he is still sleeping." Fate smiled.

"No, not really Ms. Harlaown. He's already wide awake." Grandeur muttered as she opened the curtains, revealing the one-eyed man who was lying in bed, pretending to sleep.

"Al-san! Thank goodness you're awake!" Fate exclaimed as she placed down the tray in a small table and went near the one-eyed man at once. Al sighed as he turned around and looked at the ceiling when Grandeur stood up. "Why don't you watch this idiot for me while I go and check on his medication?" she asked Fate.

"Oh, I don't mind at all Le Fleur-san" Fate smiled.

"Please, call me Grandeur" Grandeur smiled as she stood up and walked out from the room. Al continued staring at the ceiling while Fate just sat on the chair in silence.

"So..." Al finally broke the silence. "How's everyone doing?"

"Oh, ummm, they're doing fine..." Fate stirred, as if she came back from a broken trance. "Although, Nanoha-san's really depressed. She blames herself for your injuries."

Al slowly sat on the bed. "Please tell her not to worry about me. These abilities of mine...they're draining my stamina everytime I use them. However, Behemoth consumes the most stamina. It's probably because of it's impenetrable defense." Al explained.

"Oh, I see..." Fate replied. She looked at the young man; his left red eye was looking down. She felt a deep pang in her heart, as she remembered what it felt like to be within the darkness.

"Al-san, if it's alright with you...do you mind if I ask you a question?" Fate asked.

"What is it?" Al replied, looking at her.

Fate softly breathed in. "Why...did you spend all those years looking for me?" she asked.

Al had a surprised look as he looked at her. He sighed softly. "Does it matter? I don't think it does."

"But it really does matter to me." Fate replied, smiling.

Al shook his head. "Fine. My father...created me for the sole purpose of protecting you. Therefore, I had to find you and protect you until the day that Zealot burns in hell." He said.

"Your father...created you?" Fate stammered. "Is that what you thought he did?"

"Yes. I am not his biological son. I don't even know who I am or who I was in my past life." Al replied with emotionless eyes. "I am simply Alexander Lyoneid, the Destroyer. I am-"

"No! You're wrong!" Fate exclaimed. "I...I believe...that your father loved you! And he loved your brothers as well! That's what parents are for! He sacrificed his own life just to save you and your brothers, so stop saying things like you are just a creation of his."

Al didn't reply as he looked at Fate. He stared at her for a minute.

"If what you say is true...that I was not merely a creation of my father, Dr. Zecherov..." he spoke slowly. "...then why did he abandon us?"

Those words hit Fate's heart like an arrow. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Al looked down at his hands.

"I have seen everything, Fate. How your mother treated you with you were abandoned by the only person whom you regarded as your friend. How you grew up with a cold heart. How Nanoha Takamachi saved you from the darkness. How you fought and protected the ones you hold dear. You are extremely lucky that you have met these people. However, my brothers and I did not have the luxury of meeting people such as Nanoha when we were still children. My father did not teach me about warmth and friendship and love. He only raised me and taught me how to fight. How to control this terrible power inside of me that I did not wish to own in the first place. So tell me, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, does a real parent give his children this kind of punishment?" Al asked as he looked back at her again.

Fate stood there, silently. "I..." she paused as she looked down unto her hand. "I understand how you feel." She replied.

"My mother...my real mother hated me because I was only a copy of her true daughter. Yes, I understand how you feel Al-san, but that does not mean that you have to go on living this way." Fate replied while clutching her chest. "I know that you are a good man Al-san and that you have a kind heart as well. However, you can't keep living in the past. You have to wake up and stand up, knowing that there is still a good day ahead." The blonde finished with a lovely smile on her face while she made a power fist with her right hand.

Al stared at her for a little while and suddenly, Fate heard a snicker from the usually cold-blooded commander of EDEX! The snicker finally turned into laughter; Al was laughing his heart out while Fate pouted at him.

"What? What's so funny?" Fate complained.

"Sorry..." Al wiped a tear from his eye. "I really can't imagine you were once a cold-hearted person. When I was still a child, Father would keep videos that he got from Professor Testarossa. There were different kinds though, but most of them were about you. Your missions in collecting Jewel seeds, your training, everything. " Al confessed as he laid down in the bed.

"I...I see..." Fate replied. She felt really embarassed that Al saw her Jewel Seed hunting days.

"In any case, tell the rest of Riot Force Six that they can rest easy for today. But tomorrow morning, we will continue with the training. " Al said.

Fate nodded. "I will do that. I will leave you now so you can get some rest. Please get well soon Al-san." She smiled as she stood up and started walking away.

"Fate, wait." Al suddenly said.

Fate looked back at him. "What is it Al-san?" she asked.

"If you are not busy on Saturday, are you free for the day?" Al asked casually. When Fate heard this from him, a blush suddenly crept on her face!

"Wha...What? Sa...Saturday?" Fate stammered.

"Yeah, Saturday. I was supposed to bring Janus and Vincent, but Janus said that he's busy upgrading the weapons and that Vincent was going out with his girlfriend. I'm going somewhere special and I think you will really like it as well." Al said.

"Oh...well..." Fate replied. "Um, sure. I'm free on Saturday."

"Alright. Thank you. I will meet with you outside the TSAB Command Headquarters, since I will be living here in the meantime " Al said. Fate blinked as she looked at Al with a surprised expression.

"What?" Al asked.

"Did you just say that you are staying here? I mean, in the headquarters?" Fate asked.

"Yes, that's true. Unfortunately, I am under house arrest since I have violated the Time Space Treaty. But it's fine; I am used to poor accomodations." Al replied.

"But we can't have that! You are injured and an important officer to boot!" Fate exclaimed.

"Well, your brother said that I am no longer a part of EDEX, but of TSAB. The old woman already formalized my transfer. From now on, I am now a part of Riot Force Six as a special trainer against Warlocks." Al shrugged.

Fate shook her head. "Chrono-nii is really mean!" she exclaimed. "You should be living in a house provided by TSAB for its important guests. I will go ahead and talk to him so you can-"

"No, you do not have to do that." Al shook his head. "This is fine. I don't wish to trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all! We should be the ones to apologize, since you were probably removed from your old job because of us here in TSAB." Fate answered. "We at Riot Force Six are very glad to have you with us, Al-san!"

"Indeed." Al simply replied. "I am happy to assist the TSAB. However, just to be clear. I trust you and the Riot Force Six but I do not trust TSAB; not after what happened to my father and to us. The past will always come back to haunt me and my brothers...after all, we have inherited my father's greatest sin."

Fate sighed. "Yes. I, too, was shocked when I learned of your past. You can trust me and the rest of Riot Force Six with your life, Alexander Lyoneid. That I can guarantee you."

"I'm sure you will." Al nodded.

* * *

**TSAB Command Headquarters Meeting Room, at that same time...**

"Celestial Starlight Breaker? This is the first time I heard of that attack." Hayate Yagami said as she drank her coffee while Nanoha, Vita and Signum were with her.

"Yes. It's a new attack that I have been training on...and I guess Al-san is the first to feel it's destructive power..." Nanoha replied sheepishly.

"Destructive power, my foot! It totally obliterated a large part of the training grounds!" Vita complained.

"Agreed. Since when did Raising Heart become that powerful, Takamachi-san?" Signum asked.

Nanoha laughed. "Nyahaha, I guess it was right after Janus Lyoneid-san repaired it after getting broken by Teskelon." The brunette revealed.

Hayate held her chin. "EDEX is surprisingly supportive and has even let Janus repair and maintain our devices. But I wonder why the Warlocks are surprisingly quiet these days. There hasn't been a single attack." She said as she placed down her cup of tea on the table.

"Well, we just need to be ready at all times, master." Signum said. "You never know, a Warlock may have been spying on us the whole time."

"Spying on us?" Hayate snickered. "Signum, since when did you know about espionage? Have you been watching too many spy movies already?"

While the girls were talking, a black insect was seen on the wall not far from Nanoha, as if it was leaning in order to listen what the girls were talking about.

* * *

**Somewhere within the city...**

"Just relax for awhile, TSAB..." Mistral sneered as she looked at a black crystal shard which projected Nanoha and the other girls talking while inside the office.

"Relax for awhile and be ready, as the clock is ticking for both TSAB and for Project Fate!" she screamed as she began to laugh hysterically.

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	10. Part 9 Getting Ready

**__Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

****_"That was the worst team formation that I have ever seen! You girls are truly getting rusty." _

* * *

_"No! You are not alright! You're bleeding!" Fate exclaimed!_

* * *

_"We need the best weapons and armor if we are to win the fight against Zealot and his Warlocks. " Janus replied. "So from now on, I, Janus Lyoneid, will take care of all your Intelligent Devices. With a little help from Shari, of course." He grinned at Shari._

* * *

_"If what you say is true...that I was not merely a creation of my father, Dr. Zecherov..." he spoke slowly. "...then why did he abandon us?"_

* * *

_Hayate held her chin. "EDEX is surprisingly supportive and has even let Janus repair and maintain our devices. But I wonder why the Warlocks are surprisingly quiet these days. There hasn't been a single attack." _

* * *

**Part 9 - Getting Ready**

**TSAB Command Headquarters, Training Area**

Vincent Lyoneid stood in the middle of the training area, his eyes closed. He slowly inhaled and exhaled as silence surrounded the gymnasium. Suddenly, footsteps were heard as Vivio Takamachi and Einhart Stratos, in their Adult Form, swiftly attacked Vincent, to which the man simply ducked and blocked their attacks. Einhart and Vivio jumped away from him while Vincent resumed his fighting form.

"Very good ladies. Speed is of the essence but you should learn how to keep your movements silent. Stealth is the way of the Emperor Fist." Vincent grinned.

"Thank you Vincent-nii! Now, let's show him what we learned Einhart-chan!" Vivio said.

"Agreed. I will go first!" Einhart said as she dashed towards Vincent with a combination of punches and kicks.

"Nice combination, but you won't beat me with punches alone." Vincent said as he ducked and hopped away from Einhart Stratos. However, Vivio instantly appeared from behind him! "Here's something you taught me, Vincent-nii!" the blonde Strike Arts fighter exclaimed.

"Hidden Strike!" Vivio yelled as she swung her fist towards Vincent's chest! Vincent was able to catch the punch with his left arm, but he was thrown off guard because of the intensity of the shock wave coming from Vivio's punch! He landed on the ground, kneeling as he laughed.

"That was a good attack! Tell me, since when did you learn that?" Vincent asked. He suddenly sensed a movement behind him as Einhart Stratos almost hit him with a ferocious side-sweeping kick!

"Takamachi-san and I have been observing you, Lyoneid-san, and your moves are just like Nove-san's and Subaru-san's." Einhart replied as she tried to maneuver a low kick but Vincent hopped and proceeded to counter with a high kick, intending to hit Einhart's left arm. This failed, however, as Einhart ducked to safety.

"Ice Strike!" Einhart said as she did a palm strike unto Vincent Lyoneid's right arm. Vincent winced as he felt ice shards his right arm. He jumped away from both girls and held his right arm. Vivio and Einhart regrouped and assumed their fighting forms.

"Wow! I never thought you two would be this good!" Vincent smiled. Suddenly, the ice that froze his right arm instantly cracked and melted as Zero Edge, his Armed Device, started glowing with lightning bolts flashing all over his arm.

"I think this might be a good time for me to get really serious." He smiled at the two girls.

**TSAB Device Laboratory**

Janus Lyoneid peered unto a monitor and began typing as fast as his fingers could. He paused as he grabbed the nearest folder yet his eyes were still on the computer, read the material within 30 seconds, and resumed typing again.

"Energy synchronization complete. Initializing manual reconstruction mode." The computer announced.

Janus hurriedly stood from the panel, walked towards another area and wrapped up the sleeves from his coat. He stood before the machine where he was working earlier on Subaru's Mach Caliber.

"Commence reconstruction mode for Strada Mark IV" Janus said.

"Commencing. Holographic display initiated." The computer replied as a holographic image of Erio Mondial's Device, Strada, appeared before Janus within a pillar of blue light. The brunette carefully placed a device unto his eyes and slowly, he pressed his hands unto the blue pillar. Graphs and images appeared unto the pillar as Janus began working on Strada.

"Reconstructing STRADA MARK IV, Sidearms Mode." Janus said as he held Strada but instead of a long spear, it transformed into twin dagger-types with flashing energy blades. The energy blades floated as Janus moved his hands around the dagger. Light blue panels appeared on his fingertips while moving them as if he was pressing on a keyboard.

"Configuration initiated. Lower energy output by 60%. I want this form to be Erio Mondial's side arms, not his main weapon. This will allow Erio to save his magical energy until the time comes for him to use Strada on its full form." Janus muttered while his hands skillfully moved around the device.

"Confirmed. Energy output lowered by 60%." The computer replied. The energy blades stopped flashing as it took the form of a perfectly shaped blade. Janus continued working when he didn't notice that another brunette have entered the laboratory as well.

"Excuse me, Janus Lyoneid-san?" Hayate Yagami asked.

Janus paused as he pulled his hands away and took off the device from his eyes. "Oh, it's you Commander Yagami. I apologize, I was in the middle of work and I didn't notice you there." He said.

Hayate shook her head. "No, I should be the one to apologize. I went inside without notifying you. Shari-chan told me that you were busy but I had to come here to ask some questions." She replied.

"What do you want to know, Commander?" Janus asked.

"I want information. About EDEX, about the Tri-God, the Salvation Council, everything that I want to know that concerns the Warlocks." Hayate said with a serious tone. Janus was silent as he walked near a computer.

"Leaking classified EDEX information to TSAB is a serious offense, mind you." Janus said.

"I thought you would say that. You don't trust TSAB?" Hayate smiled.

"It's not TSAB that I have doubts. It's EDEX itself that I do not trust." Janus clarified as he pulled two mugs from a small cabinet in his table. "Coffee, Commander?" he asked the brunette.

"Yes. Two lumps of sugar please." Hayate nodded. Janus prepared the coffee in two minutes and gave the other cup to Hayate.

"I can provide you all the information you need Commander. But I want something in return." He muttered. Hayate took a small sip from her cup of coffee and placed it on the table.

"Oh? And what do you need? A bigger laboratory?" Hayate asked.

"No. I have something different in mind." Janus replied. "I am sure that Grandeur have told you everything about Professor Zecherov and my brothers, correct?"

"Yes. That is correct." Hayate nodded.

"Here is my request." Janus said. "Professor Zecherov admitted his mistake when he made the Tri-God but TSAB washed its hands by the time the Tri-God went berserk. Something's amiss here, Commander Yagami. Both TSAB and EDEX has access to the Tri-God's mainframe, so there is a possibility that someone from EDEX or TSAB may have tampered with the system."

"How can you be so sure?" Hayate asked. "The incident happened years ago. Finding an evidence would be difficult."

"Not exactly true." Janus smiled as he stood up and walked towards his desk. Hayate curiously looked at him as the brunette grabbed an object from a drawer in his desk. Janus went back to her and handed her a small blue square object.

"You'll find everything that you need here. And also, the one that I want you to find out as well, Commander Yagami." Janus said carefully. "When you open it, go to a file named "Project Tri-God". Once you do, press the button that says "Restricted Access" and enter the code 75323. It will open an archive of all information that you wish to know. Once you are satisfied, go to the file with my father's name on it. What I want is to find out what exactly caused the Eradication System to go berserk. I'd be grateful for any information that you can get for me "

Hayate received the object. "Thank you for the trust, Lyoneid-san and I promise to help you out."

"Thank you. Please, call me Janus. And like I said, I'd rather trust the TSAB than EDEX." The brunette replied.

"If you don't mind me asking, why don't you trust EDEX? Your brother is a high-ranking official." Hayate asked.

"Indeed, big brother Al might be a top official but there are others who are higher in rank but they are blinded by their own ambitions." Janus said. "A few days from now, those officials will visit Mid-Childa, so please be careful."

"Thank you for the warning, Janus-san." Hayate smiled. Suddenly, she noticed what the guy was working on. "Is that a new device? That's Erio-kun's Strada, right?"

"Yes. I made some modifications to most of Riot Force Six's Devices." Janus replied. "I believe that if we tune up the Devices to withstand the magic-sucking capabilities of the Warlocks, then the Riot Force Six should be enough to deal with the Warlocks."

"I see." Hayate nodded. "How long has EDEX fought against the Warlocks?"

"Ever since the Tri-GOD was corrupted and my father's disappearance. At least that's what I remember." Janus remarked. " That is the more reason why we have to finish them off. Thousands of innocent people are already dead because of my father's creation. I don't want Mid-Childa to suffer the same fate as we did."

Hayate nodded. "I understand. Let's help each other out. With your help, we'll defeat the Warlocks in no time at all." She smiled. Janus replied with a smile as he nodded in agreement. The two didn't realize that a man wearing the TSAB maintenance department uniform was hiding just outside the laboratory. The man backed away from the room and started walking when he shape-shifted into Mistral, one of Zealot's minions.

**The very next day... Scrya Residence, Mid-Childa**

"So, where are you and Al-san going on your first date?"

Fate blushed as she quickly turned towards Nanoha. "Th-This isn't a date!" she exclaimed while Nanoha was giggling like a child. The blonde was wearing her casual clothes; a black body-fit shirt and a pair of comfortable blue jeans.

"Al-san said that he was going to show me something special. I bet it has something to do with the Warlock case." Fate said. Nanoha rolled her eyes.

"Well, if it isn't a date, then why are you all dressed up?" Nanoha quipped.

"What are you talking about? This is my casual outfit. You've seen me in this getup, right?" Fate replied.

"Yes, I've seen you on that outfit so many times already!" Nanoha said as she grabbed Fate's hand. "This is your first date, Fate-chan! Your first date! You should be wearing something cute!" she squealed as she held her hand.

"But it isn't a date!" Fate yelled.

"Hush! Let's go to my room. I have something there that will look really good on you!" Nanoha exclaimed as her eyes sparkled. Fate gulped as she realized that her friend meant serious business. While the brunette was pulling the blonde back into her room, Vivio appeared together with her Device, Chris.

"What are you doing, Nanoha-mama? Why are you pushing Fate-mama into your room?" Vivio asked. Nanoha and Fate looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, Fate-mama has a date with Al-kun, so she needs to be really pretty, Vivio" Nanoha explained. Fate just blushed as she was too shy to reply back to her friend. But deep inside her heart, the thought of having her first date excited her. Sure, she's had a few dates back then, but it was slightly different with Al since he is not a native of Mid-childa, but from Earth. Most of the guys she dated were either friends of Chrono or guys "handpicked" by Nanoha or Hayate.

"Really? Yaayy!" Vivio squealed. "Is Al-nii chan going to be my papa as well? Just like Yuuno-papa?" the blonde girl asked innocently. Fate's jaw dropped as her cheeks were burning brightly red while Nanoha was giggling her heart out.

"N..NO!" Fate instantly blurted out. "We are just going out as friends, Vivio, okay? Just friends!"

"Oh, okaay!" Vivio replied. "Come on Nanoha-mama! Let's make Fate-mama beautiful!" she exclaimed as both mother and daughter pushed Fate into Nanoha's room. When they were inside, Vivio excitedly closed the door and a loud shriek was heard inside the room.

"Ohhh boy." Yunno shook his head as he sat in the living room while reading a book.

**TSAB Headquarters, Male Dormitory**

"Master, everything seems to be fine in Mid-childa. The cats haven't detected a single Warlock nor Zealot or his army in here." Anubis reported while sitting just beside a small bed. He looked at his master, who was busy combing his black hair. Al was wearing a black hoodie jacket, a blue shirt and white cargo pants with black rubber shoes.

"Thank you Anubis. Since there isn't too much danger, you can rest for awhile today. I'm going out." Al said to his loyal companion.

"Heh, so you've finally asked her out eh? I didn't think you would have the courage to do so." Anubis sneered, earning a small blush and a glare from Al.

"It's not a date, you idiotic dog." Al replied.

"Sure it ain't." Anubis replied. Suddenly, the door opened and in came Vincent, his younger brother.

"Hey bro, I need your-" Vincent stopped when he saw Al in his get-up. "Whoa, slap my face with a trout! What happened to you bro? Since when did you evolve?" he grinned.

"Shut the hell up Vincent! " Al exclaimed.

"He's going out on a date with Captain Fate T. Harlaown." Anubis suddenly declared, earning a shocked expression from Vincent, which then transformed into a grin!

"What the hell? You already asked her out, bro? Aren't you a smooth operator!" Vincent exclaimed.

"I TOLD YOU THIS IS NOT A DATE!" Al yelled in anger. Suddenly, Grandeur opened the door, a vein popping in her head.

"What are you two morons doing? Can't you keep your mouth's shut?" the woman complained. "You two are really noisy and it's really annoying!"

"Al and Fate are going out on a date!" Vincent grinned. "Big brother finally has the guts to tell her how he felt."

Al was now shaking in anger. "Why...you!" he gritted his teeth when Grandeur held his shoulder.

"Quiet Vincent!" she said. "Don't you know how your older brother would feel? I'm sure he's really nervous right now, so let's cheer him up instead." She said with a dignified voice.

Al looked at her. "Well, well..." he thought. "So she's finally acting mature..."

Grandeur looked at Al. She suddenly took out a small red package from her pocket.

"Always use protection, ok Al?" Grandeur grinned.

A vein popped out from Al's forehead, his hands shaking in anger.

"GET THE HELL OUTTA MY ROOM!" Al growled in anger as an explosion rocked the whole TSAB base. Janus, Teana, and Shari felt their laboratory move because of the explosion.

"And that is one more reason not to make my big brother Al angry..." Janus sighed as he shook his head. Shari just looked at Teana, while the Sniper shrugged.

An hour later...

Al sighed as he stared at the front gate of the Takamachi Residence. He dusted a few specks of dust away from his shirt and slowly walked towards the door. He pressed the doorbell and waited. Suddenly, a holographic image of Vivio appeared on the side of the door.

"Who is it?" the girl asked.

"It's me, Miss Takamachi... Alexander Lyon." Al replied.

"Ah! Al-onii chan! You're finally here!" Vivio squealed. The hologram disappeared and the door opened, with Vivio meeting him. "Good morning Vivio." He said to the young girl.

"Ohayo Al-nii chan!" Vivio replied. "Please come in. Fate-mama 's been expecting you."

"Thank you." Al made a small bow as he walked inside the house. He saw Yuuno and Nanoha sitting in the comfortable chair. "Hello, Al-kun! Welcome to our humble home." Nanoha smiled.

"Thank you. I am honored to be a guest of your house." Al replied as he sat down.

"Would you like some tea first, Al-kun? Fate-chan is still a bit busy in her room, so please be patient with her." Nanoha said as she offered a cup of tea to the house guest.

"Thank you. That's really kind of you." Al replied as he received the cup. He blew the tea to make it cool and slowly sipped the warm tea. "This is really good tea. Is this the famous green tea that I have been hearing so much about?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact it is." Yuuno grinned. "You know your Japanese culture, don't you Al?"

"Just a little." Al replied while keeping an emotionless face. Yuuno and Nanoha looked at each other and sighed. Just then, Vivio came back running from upstairs.

"Fate-mama is here! Fate-mama is here!" she squealed with delight. Al was checking his mobile phone when a shadow fell before him. He looked up to see Fate wearing a black sleeveless blouse and a white mini-skirt.

"Hello Al-kun..." Fate said with a smile. Al was blushing brightly red, his chest beating in a frenzy. All he could do was look the other way. "H..Hello..." he croaked. Yuuno and Nanoha stopped themselves from laughing as Fate gave both of them a dagger look.

"I'm sorry if it took me so long. Nanoha-chan wanted me to try on some new clothes." Fate said in a shy tone. Al gulped as he secretly thanked God for letting him go out with the most beautiful girl that he's ever laid his eyes on. "T..That's ok, Fate. I really didn't mind waiting." He replied.

Fate smiled. "Oh really? Thank God! I thought you got upset. I was worried." She said.

"No, I can never get upset with you Fate... Not ever..." Al said, with the last part a bit short on volume. Fate smiled while Nanoha just giggled at the sight.

"Well then, have fun you two!" Yuuno grinned.

"Yes, please do have fun." Nanoha said as well "Since this is your first-"

"IT'S NOT A DATE!" Al and Fate yelled at the same time.

While Al and Fate were leaving the Takamachi Residence, a weird looking creature was perched on top of the tree. It had a gigantic eyeball and stubby wings and it was spying on the two. Suddenly, a black cat sprung at the creature, digging its claws unto its back. The weird creature was hissing while Sekhmet looked at Al and Fate.

"You are not going to ruin this day, Teskelon!" the cat purred.

And in a location not known to anyone, Teskelon was using a crystal mirror to spy at the two when suddenly, the mirror broke into pieces!

"Grah! Someone or something killed one of my spies." Teskelon announced.

"It doesn't matter. Master Zealot told us to concentrate more on reproducing more Warlocks." Swordheart muttered. "Mistral's already spying their base of operations. How is your body doing?"

"I just need a few more days before I get completely healed. Then, when that is done, I will find who did this and I will feast on his corpse for days! Yeahahahahahhaahahhahaa!" the clown hissed.

"Urgh... He is way too creepy." Swordheart grumbled.

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Really sorry for the late update, you guys! Have been busy because of work. I'll try to keep this story updated as always! Have fun reading and keep those comments posted!**


	11. Part 10 The Tearful Reunion

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"Commence reconstruction mode for Strada Mark IV" Janus said._

_"Commencing. Holographic display initiated." The computer replied as a holographic image of Erio Mondial's Device, Strada, appeared before Janus within a pillar of blue light. The brunette carefully placed a device unto his eyes and slowly, he pressed his hands unto the blue pillar. Graphs and images appeared unto the pillar as Janus began working on Strada._

* * *

_"I see." Hayate nodded. "How long has EDEX fought against the Warlocks?"_

_"Ever since the Tri-GOD was corrupted and my father's disappearance. At least that's what I remember." Janus remarked. " That is the more reason why we have to finish them off. Thousands of innocent people are already dead because of my father's creation. I don't want Mid-Childa to suffer the same fate as we did."_

* * *

_"But it isn't a date!" Fate yelled._

_"Hush! Let's go to my room. I have something there that will look really good on you!" Nanoha exclaimed as her eyes sparkled._

* * *

_"I just need a few more days before I get completely healed. Then, when that is done, I will find who did this and I will feast on his corpse for days!_

* * *

**Part 10 – The Tearful Reunion**

**TSAB Command Room, Mid-Childa**

Admiral Chrono Harlaown stared at the images while Commander Hayate Yagami and her two former Wolkenritter, Signum and Vita, stood before him. "This is amazing... Within three days, Janus Lyoneid managed to upgrade most of Riot Six's arsenal. Just what the hell is he?" Chrono asked.

"He is what EDEX claims him to be. Device Genius extraordinaire." Hayate replied.

"He is also upgrading Levatein and Graf Eisen, as we speak." Signum said. "I have also seen him test one of the modified Intelligent Device that he made. It was more powerful than we ever anticipated."

"Indeed? Is it true?" Admiral Harlaown asked.

"Yes. Me and Signum volunteered to test out one of Lyoneid-san's devices. They were awesome!" Vita grinned. "We could seriously defeat those Warlocks with ease should they attack us again!"

"Hmmm, that is indeed great news. I'll make sure to include that in our meeting today." Admiral Harlaown nodded.

"I'm just curious as to why we were never told about the existence of EDEX. Your past operations concerning the Jewel Seeds would have been made easier if you were told of EDEX's existence." Hayate mused.

"I guess it's not in their best interests to meddle with TSAB affairs." Chrono said. "Which is exactly what we are going to do as well, Hayate." He flatly stated.

"Why, Admiral Harlaown...whatever do you mean?" Hayate fluttered her eyes.

"Stop being cute with me. I've seen you slip inside Janus Lyoneid's laboratory without telling Shari or anyone from TSAB. I know your inquisitive nature, Hayate Yagami, and I am warning you; don't give out any information to EDEX unless you consult with me first, do you understand?" Admiral Harlaown said in a clear voice.

"Yes. I understand." Hayate replied. Signum and Vita looked at each other and grinned.

"Good. I'll be leaving for an important meeting, so give me an update by the evening." Chrono said as he stood up.

"Of course Admiral. Good luck with your meeting!" Hayate smiled as she gave a salute. By the time that the Admiral left, Hayate had a wicked grin on her face.

"Well then, time for us to start investigating." She giggled.

"But didn't the Admiral say-" Signum said when she noticed that Hayate was already using the admiral's computer. Vita shook her head. "If it's Hayate, there's nothing you can do about it." She sighed.

* * *

**Uminari City, Earth**

Al and Fate appeared in a street corner in a blinding light. "I thought you wanted to visit Mid-Childa, but it seems you wanted to come here to Uminari City." Fate said.

"I'm sorry, but the place where I wanted to visit is in here." Al replied. "But if you want, we could go back to Mid-Childa and-"

"No! No! This is fine." Fate smiled. She thought that here in Uminari City, there's a lesser chance for her friends, especially Nanoha and Hayate, to see her together with Al. The young man walked forward and raised his palm. Fate was surprised as a black motorbike appeared before Al.

"I know you're used to riding a car, so I wish to apologize." Al said. "This is my bike. I call it Charon."

Fate laughed nervously. "Do you really love naming your personal things with creepy names, Al-kun?" she asked.

Al looked at her with a puzzled look. "Charon is not a creepy name. According to Greek Mythology, Charon is the ferryman of hell who delivers souls to Hades, the land of the dead." He explained.

"And that is the reason why it's creepy." Fate thought to herself as she smiled.

"Come on, we need to be there by 10 am." Al said as he climbed the motorbike. He turned on the machine and it let out a smooth, humming voice. Fate slowly climbed up behind him when she noticed how wide his back was. "This must be because of his training." She thought.

"It could be a rough ride, so if you want to hold on to me, you can..." Al stammered, his face blushing.

"What? I can't hear you?" Fate asked.

"I said...if you want to hold unto me if I drive too fast, you can...do so!" Al exclaimed, but the road was really noisy with all the traffic; Fate can hardly hear a word from him.

"I'm sorry but it's really noisy. What did you say again?" the blonde asked.

Suddenly, Al grabbed both her hands and guided them to hold unto his torso! "I said if you feel that I am going too fast, grab my torso right away, like this!" Al said, blushing as red as a tomato. Even Fate was blushing since she realized that she was really close to a man for the first time. But instead of feeling embarassed, she liked the feeling. She could feel Al's nervous beating heart within her chest. With a smile, she nodded.

"Ok then, here we go!" Al said as he started the motorbike.

* * *

**Underneath Mid-childa, Sewer Area**

Mistral and Swordheart stood before Teskelon when Zealot appeared before them. The three minions bowed down before their master.

"Mistral, I have a task for you." Zealot said. "Teskelon's spies have spotted Project FATE and the Demon Blade in Uminari City. I am giving you the chance to prove yourself to me. Capture Project FATE and eliminate the Demon Blade!" He growled.

"Master, I can go with Mistral and help!" Swordheart stood up when Zealot raised his hand towards him and blew him away with a flame spell. The swordsman crashed upon the stone wall.

"SILENCE!" Zealot yelled. "How dare you talk when I did not give you permission to do so! You have failed when I gave you the chance to do this mission! Now be silent, you miserable slave!"

Teskelon laughed. "I am sure the mighty Mistral shouldn't have any problems in capturing those two." the clown hissed in pleasure. Mistral smiled as she stood up.

"Do not worry, master. I shall bring the girl and the Demon Blade's head as well." The demoness said.

"For your sake, I hope you do!" Zealot growled. "The time for the Tri-God's resurrection is at hand! We must have Project FATE in order to complete the ritual. Go now and complete your mission at all costs!"

* * *

**Mid-Childa, TSAB Training Simulation Room**

"W...Whoa!" Subaru exclaimed.

"This is unbelievable!" Erio stammered as he held his improved Intelligent Device.

"Erio, meet Strada Mark IV." Janus said as Shari stood behind him. "I've upgraded your Device's form and introduced a new Side Arms Mode that should help you in both offense and defense. I've also re-calibrated its energy output." The brunette explained.

"He did what now?" Subaru scratched her head while Teana shook her head.

"That means Janus-kun have made it possible for Erio-kun to save his magical energy while using Strada during a prolonged battle period." Shari explained.

"Wow! That is so cool!" Caro exclaimed.

"Yeah. That means I won't have to worry about losing energy during a very long battle." Erio grinned.

"Oh, and please try changing into your barrier form. I am sure you'll like your new armor." Shari said.

"Okay then!" Erio said as he changed into his Barrier Form. Subaru, Teana and Caro were surprised when Erio emerged into his new Barrier Form; His upper armor was still the same, but instead of shorts, he was now wearing cargo pants. Also, the color changed from white to blue.

"What the? My Barrier Jacket's different!" Erio said as he looked at his new Barrier Jacket. It still looked the same, except he was wearing cargo pants instead of shorts.

"I think wearing shorts is for kids. This looks more fashionable for you." Shari explained.

"Your new Barrier Form should improve your speed and acceleration. Try the Side Arms Mode now." Janus said. "Simply concentrate, say 'Strada, SideArms Mode', and Strada should do the trick."

Erio nodded as he held Strada. "Strada! Side Arms Mode!" he yelled as he spinned the Device and held both ends. He pulled both ends of the spear, splitting it into two and transformed into twin energy sabers.

"Whoa! So cool!" Subaru exclaimed, her eyes shining.

"Yeah, really cool indeed." Teana said. "But I do hope that Lyoneid-san would also upgrade our Devices as well."

"Yes. Janus-kun is working on the rest of your Intelligent and Armed Devices." Shari said. " But right now, Erio-kun, you have to undergo a mock battle in order to get accustomed with your new Device."

Erio nodded. "I'm ready. Who will be my opponent?" he asked. Suddenly, the door opened and Vincent Lyoneid walked inside, together with Nove and Einhart Stratos.

"I'll be your opponent." Vincent smiled. "I just came back from our training session, but obviously, these two weren't even close to beating me." He grinned.

"What?" Subaru exclaimed at Nove. "Is it true Nove-chan? Did you and Einhart-chan got beaten by him?" she asked in bewilderment.

Nove angrily looked the other way while Einhart nodded. "Yes. Vincent-san easily beat me, Vivio and even Nove-san here. We were all outmatched." The girl said.

Subaru was utterly shocked as she looked at Vincent. "He has this goofy grin on his face and he doesn't look that strong. Oh well, let's see how powerful he really is." She thought while Vincent and Erio took their places inside the practice stadium.

"Vincent-san, thank you for helping me in getting accustomed to my new device." Erio bowed.

"No problem kid. My pleasure." Vincent grinned as he took a fighting stance.

Erio held Strada in its Side Arms Mode. "However, I would like to apologize in advance. When it comes to a battle, I do not intend to back down. You may have defeated me back then, but I intend to win this time." The boy smiled.

Vincent gave a sinister grin. "Good. That is exactly what I am looking for..." as his Device, Zero Edge, began to emit lightning from its core. The moment Subaru saw Zero Edge, her expression suddenly changed. She began shaking in fear as she stared at the Armed Device, her eyes dilated and sweat began to trickle down from her forehead.

"This is going to be a good match, right Subaru?" Teana asked when she noticed her partner. Subaru slowly backed away from the crowd watching.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Teana asked. Subaru didn't say a word as she immediately dashed away from all of them. Erio and Vincent stopped when they noticed what happened.

"What happened to Subaru-chan, Teana-chan?" Shari asked.

"I dunno! She just ran away. It looks like she was afraid of something..." Teana shrugged. Janus, however, just arranged his glasses and looked at Teana.

Subaru ran as fast as her legs could carry her. When she finally got tired, she stopped and slammed her back at the wall. She was really panting, cold sweat dropping down from her face.

"What is wrong with me?" she stammered as she looked at her hands. She was trembling in fear.

"That Armed Device...why do I feel that it's..." she stammered as she held her head in confusion.

* * *

**Uminari Countryside, a few meters away from the city...**

Al and Fate rode through a quiet countryside north of Uminari City, Earth. Fate looked around as she was never able to go this far from the city. Although there were a few houses nearby, it was a really solitary place as the vehicle road up towards a two-storey house in a small hill. When they finally arrived, the motorbike sputtered to a stop.

"This is the place." Al said. Fate slowly climbed down from the motor bike as she stretched her arms. Al took off his helmet and carefully placed it on the bike.

"It's a very beautiful house Al-kun. But who lives here?" the blonde Lightning Squad leader asked. Suddenly, the two spotted a little girl walking near the house. When the girl saw them, she instantly smiled!

"Sister! Sister! Big brother Al is here!" the girl yelled as she started running towards them. Fate was surprised when a dozen children began running out of the house and they were all laughing excitedly. In no time at all, the children gathered around them. The little girl instantly hopped unto Al's arms while the silent man picked her up.

"I told you not to run that fast, Cecily. You just recovered from falling from a tree." Al said.

Cecily gave a cute smile. "No worries, big brother! I'm fine!" she squealed. Just then, she looked at Fate. "Who is she, big brother? Is she your girlfriend?" Cecily asked innocently.

Fate blushed. "Ehem, Cecily? What did Sister Cat-Ears tell you all the time?" Al said.

"Sowwy..." Cecily pouted. Fate just smiled at the girl. "Technically speaking, I am a girl and a friend of your big brother. My name is Fate T. Harlaown. Nice to meet you Cecily." The blonde smiled. Al also had a small blush on his face, but just looked the other way.

"Fate?" Cecily mused. "Your name sounds like the name of the girl Sister Cat-Ears tell us all the time..." the young girl said innocently. Fate was quite surprised about what the girl said. Then, the door of the orphanage opened. Fate's eyes widened in shock when she saw the person who came out.

"Children...why are you-" the person said when she saw Fate.

Fate's jaw dropped. "L...Linith?" she muttered. Al just looked at the two of them while holding Cecily in his arms. Cecily looked at the two while she had a confused look on her face.

"F...Fate-chan?" Linith shook as tears started flowing from her eyes. "Fate-chan, is that really you?"

Fate immediately ran towards the cat woman and she grabbed her into a tight hug! "Linith! Where have you been? Why did you suddenly leave me?" the blonde cried through muffled sobs. Linith was crying as well as she hugged the girl whom she cared so much as a child.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Fate-chan! Please forgive me!" Linith cried. Al sighed as a small smile appeared on her face. Cecily and the rest of the children just looked at them in wonder.

A few minutes later, Al is seen watching the children while Fate and Linith are inside the house, having tea and biscuits. Fate have finished telling Linith all her adventures and the current mission involving the Warlocks.

"Where have you been all this time, Linith-san? I have searched everywhere for you. I have even asked some of my connections and here you are, working inside a small orphanage just a few miles from Uminari City." Fate asked.

Linith smiled. "Please forgive me. I just didn't want you to remember all the harsh things you encountered during your childhood. When I left that day, I was sure to die because your mother was no longer supplying me with mana. However, Prof. Zecherov found me one day, lying on a freezing snowfield. Without hesitation, he invented a device that supplied me with an infinite source of mana, thus allowing me to live. He was kind enough to give me a job here in the orphanage, so I have been here ever since." The cat girl explained while sipping her tea.

"But...why? Why didn't you come back to me?" Fate asked.

"If I did, then you would never have met all those precious people close to your heart today." Linith gently smiled as she caressed Fate's cheeks. "You have indeed grown to be a very beautiful woman, just like your mother Fate. While I know she was cruel to you before, I am sure that she is proud of what you have become." She said.

Fate nodded. "I am so happy that you are still alive Linith... I never stopped believing that you were stil alive." she smiled. However, their moment was disturbed when they saw Al walking like a robot while Cecily was on his shoulders and two small children were riding on his legs. Fate and Linith both laughed at what they saw. However, Linith saw Fate's eyes gleaming as she looked at Al playing with the children.

"So, what do you think?" Linith asked.

Fate blinked. "What do I think of what?" she asked innocently as she proceeded to drink her tea.

"What do you think of Alexander-kun?" Linith teased. Fate almost choked as she swallowed the tea. "L...Linith! Not you too! Honestly, even in the office, Nanoha-chan and the others keep teasing me about him!" she complained.

Linith giggled. "So do you dislike him?" she asked casually.

"No!" Fate exclaimed. "It's just that...we barely get to know each other. I know that he has a lot of personal issues and there's also the fact that he knew the real reason why my life is in danger. There are so many things about him that I am not so sure of..." The blonde said as she looked down at her tea. Linith smiled as she sipped a small amount of tea and placed the cup on the table.

"When Professor Zecherov suddenly disappeared, Grandeur-sama told me to live with her along with Al-kun and his brothers. While they were growing up, Al-kun made sure that his brothers grew up happily and without any problems. And every night, I would see him stare off into a far away distance, holding a small picture." Linith said as she stood up and went near a cabinet. She slowly took out a small, worn out picture and gave it to Fate.

"What?" Fate gasped. It was a picture of her and Arf, when she was still a little girl and was still being taken cared of by Linith and her dead mother, Precia. "Why...why would Al-kun have this picture?" Fate stammered.

"You probably don't remember it, but Prof. Zecherov and Al-kun visited Master one time." Linith said. "You were busy playing with Arf during that time. But I was there when Al-kun first saw you."

* * *

**FLASHBACK – The Garden of Time, several years ago**

_Linith, Precia Testarossa and Hestelle Zecherov stood inside a small room filled with all sorts of devices. Prof. Zecherov looked at the monitor and saw Fate playing with Arf._

_"She...looks just like Alicia, your daughter..." Prof. Zecherov said._

_"Indeed. That...thing looks just like her, but it is not her." Precia muttered. The professor looked at the woman in shock. "That thing? Precia, she might just be another clone but she is still-"_

_"Silence!" Precia yelled. Linith winced in terror while Prof. Zecherov just kept quiet. "That thing is nothing like Alicia! Now here's the file you need. Take it and leave at once!" she roared as she threw a small disc at the professor. Precia walked out of the room at once while Linith picked up the disc and gave it to the professor._

_"Please pardon my Master's behavior. She is not in a very good mood right now. " Linith bowed._

_Prof. Zecherov smiled. "Don't worry about it. I still can't believe that Precia could be this cruel to a small child. How could she do something like this? To force the child to start training as a mage to gather Jewel Seeds..." the man grumbled. Just then, both of them were surprised when a young boy appeared before them, looking at the monitor that was observing Fate._

_"Father? Who is she?" the boy asked, looking at the monitor._

_Prof. Zecherov smiled. "Alexander, please come here. Come on." He signalled the boy to go near him. Alexander walked towards his father._

_"Linith, this is my son, Alexander." He smiled._

_Linith smiled. "Hello Alexander-kun. It is so nice to meet you."_

_Alexander made a small bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Linith. But Father, who is that beautiful young girl on the monitor?" he asked. Linith giggled as she walked near Alexander and knelt beside him._

_"Do you want to meet her? Her name is Fate Testarossa." She smiled. "I am sure she would be thrilled to meet you Alexander-kun."_

_Alexander shook his head. "I can't meet with her. I am not worthy." He casually said._

_"What do you mean?" Linith asked, blinking. The boy just looked at her with cold eyes. "I am the Destroyer, the Third-Phase of the Tri-God Project. Therefore, I am not worthy to meet someone like her." Alexander replied. Linith's eyes widened in terror as she looked at the professor._

_"Linith... Things have not been well with the Tri-God Project. There are...complications which I must be prepared to deal with. " Prof. Zecherov muttered. "And I am afraid that Alexander is the...host."_

_"B..But...he's just a young boy! Professor, there must be another way!" Linith stammered._

_"There isn't." Prof. Zecherov smiled. "But I hope that one day, young Fate might be able to teach Alexander the true meaning of friendship, feelings, and love. What it meant to be a true human being, despite being an object of science..."_

_Linith didn't reply as she looked at Fate, playing with Arf happily. Alexander blinked as he stared at the young blonde girl on the monitor._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

Fate couldn't believe her ears after hearing Linith's tale. "H...How...How could...he?" she softly said while clenching her fist. "How could Prof. Zecherov use Al-kun for such a cruel task?"

Linith shook her head. "He didn't have a choice Fate-chan. It was just like what your mother did when she created you. Professor Zecherov painfully used Alexander-kun as his last resort. But it is quite a miracle to see him grow like this. With all that darkness and pain inside his heart for so many years, it's quite amazing that he grew to become a protector against the Warlocks." The cat girl smiled.

Fate nodded. Somehow, she suddenly remembered what Al have told her.

"_I will always be here to protect you." _

"Does that mean...that I am the reason why he's fighting these Warlocks? To protect me? But what's my role in all of these?" Fate shook her head as she asked those questions within herself. Her train of thoughts were halted when Al walked inside with Cecily on his back.

"Linith, I need to go into town and check what's happening with the locals. Do you have anything that you want me to buy while I am there?" Al asked.

Linith thought. "Oh, just buy me something to cook for tonight. You guys are staying here for the night, am I correct?" she asked.

Al put Cecily down as he looked at Fate. "Well, I am not quite sure. Fate may have something to do for tomo-"

"Actually, it's fine Al-kun." Fate interrupted him.

"Huh? It is?" Al asked. Fate nodded. "No problem. I'll just call my mom and Nanoha-chan. Besides, I get to be with Linith after all these years, so it's just fine with me."

Al nodded in agreement, his face not showing any emotions at all. "Very well. I'll go ahead and buy the stuff. Cecily, do you want to go with me?"he asked the small girl.

"Yay! Of course big brother Al!"Cecily yelled as she jumped on Al's back again. Fate giggled as the young man walked out of the room with a passenger on his back.

"Somehow, even if he doesn't show any emotions at all, he really has a soft spot for children." She said to Linith. Linith smiled coyly at her. "He's really a perfect husband material, isn't he Fate-chan?"

Fate subconsciously nodded. "Yeah, he's perfect indeed." She muttered. Suddenly, she realized what she just said to Linith. "Wait, no! That's not what I meant!"she exclaimed, blushing mad.

Linith giggled. "I don't think it's bad to appreciate Alexander-kun for what he is. Besides, having a crush is a whole lot different from falling in love." She said. Fate just sat on the couch with a heavy blush on her face.

"Hmmm...I guess Linith-san is right. I guess...I do admire Al-kun. A bit..." she thought.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's Notes:** God, words can't really express my apologies for the very long update! I have had so many things to do for the past few months that I barely can't find the time to write anything good. Anyway, now that I was able to update, expect some goodies within the few weeks to come! Please keep reading and those comments flowing, ayt! See you all and thanks!


	12. Part 11 Trouble in the Orphanage

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"Why, Admiral Harlaown...whatever do you mean?" Hayate fluttered her eyes._

_"Stop being cute with me. I've seen you slip inside Janus Lyoneid's laboratory without telling Shari or anyone from TSAB. I know your inquisitive nature, Hayate Yagami, and I am warning you; don't give out any information to EDEX unless you consult with me first, do you understand?" Admiral Harlaown said in a clear voice._

* * *

_"Mistral, I have a task for you." Zealot said. "Teskelon's spies have spotted Project FATE and the Demon Blade in Uminari City. I am giving you the chance to prove yourself to me. Capture Project FATE and eliminate the Demon Blade!" He growled._

* * *

_Subaru ran as fast as her legs could carry her. When she finally got tired, she stopped and slammed her back at the wall. She was really panting, cold sweat dropping down from her face._

_"What is wrong with me?" she stammered as she looked at her hands. She was trembling in fear._

* * *

_"F...Fate-chan?" Linith shook as tears started flowing from her eyes. "Fate-chan, is that really you?"_

* * *

_Linith giggled. "I don't think it's bad to appreciate Alexander-kun for what he is. Besides, having a crush is a whole lot different from falling in love." She said. Fate just sat on the couch with a heavy blush on her face._

* * *

**Part 11 – Trouble in the Orphanage**

**Mid-childa, Takamachi Residence**

"Oh, Fate-chan! I'm so happy that you found her at last!" Nanoha smiled as she and Fate talked on the phone about Linith's re-appearance. Yuuno was busy combing Vivio's hair while the child was busy watching television. "So you'll be sleeping there tonight?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes. Can you please tell Mother about this as well?" Fate said on the other line. Nanoha nodded. "No problem Fate-chan! Don't worry, I'll tell her as well that you have carried some protection, so you and Al-kun have fun there."

"Wh..What?" Fate blushed on the other line with a shocked expression. "Nanoha-chan! You're so mean!" she pouted. Yuuno shook his head as he looked at Nanoha apologize to her best friend with a huge grin. "What's Nanoha-mama talking about? What kind of protection Yuuno-papa?" Vivio asked.

"Um...I think you're still a bit young to know about stuff like that..." Yuuno chuckled. Nanoha finally hung up on the phone with Fate. "It seems Fate-mama will be sleeping somewhere else, so Vivio, you can go and sleep in Fate-mama's room for awhile." She smiled.

Vivio eye's widened. "Really? Yaayy!" the child cried as she suddenly ran upstairs.

"Be careful on the way up." Nanoha called. When the child was nowhere in sight, Nanoha looked at Yuuno and she carefully slid her head over Yuuno's lap. Yuuno looked at his girlfriend and smiled.

"I swear, you are becoming like Hayate everyday." He chuckled.

Nanoha giggled. "I just want Fate-chan to find someone who will be really suited for her. And strangely, I find Al-kun as the perfect match for her." She said.

"Hmmm...I guess you're right." Yuuno nodded. "Whenever I look at Alexander-kun, he's someone who's not really afraid of speaking the truth. Just like Fate-chan, but a little too cold. But perhaps Fate-chan might be able to warm up his heart."

Nanoha didn't reply as she looked at Yuuno. "You know..." she smiled while tugging Yuuno's chest. "Vivio is sleeping in the other room. That means...we get to have some time for ourselves."

Yuuno looked at his girlfriend and eagerly smiled. "Whatever do you mean, Nanoha-chan?" he chuckled. Nanoha pouted as she grabbed Yuuno's collar and pulled his face closer towards her own, surprising the blonde man. "Bedroom...fifteen minutes." She said as she gave him a small peck on the lips, stood up and walked up in her room. Yuuno just shook his head and smiled. "Women." He mused.

* * *

**Uminari Countryside, Linith's Orphanage**

Fate blushed as she turned off the communicator inside the orphanage. "Nanoha-chan can be so mean at times!" she thought. Suddenly, she noticed the children running around the house carrying small plastic packages. Fate went out from the room and looked at Al placing two large plastic packages in the table within the kitchen.

"Hello Al-kun. Are you back from shopping?" Fate asked.

"Yeah. I got a bit late because I had to help the local townsfolk deal with some trouble." Al said as he wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "Anyway, after this I am going to cook dinner for everyone, so children! Please go into the play room and stay there." He ordered the little ones.

"Awwww, we want to help big brother Al!" yelled one little girl. Fate giggled as she crouched in front of the little girl. "How about you help me set the table? Cecily, would you care to help me?" she asked Cecily, who was busy playing with her doll nearby. The little girl beamed at once. "Of course big sister Fate!" she yelled as she ran towards her.

"Who is she Cecily? Why do you know her?" a little boy asked.

"Don't you know who this is?" Cecily patted Fate's shoulder. "This is big sister Fate, the girl in the story that Sister Cat-Ears have been telling us all night! And she happens to be big brother Al's –"

"Cecily..." Al looked at the little girl sternly. "Ooops, sorry! Tehehehe!" Cecily giggled as she hugged Fate. The blonde girl giggled as she carried little Cecily in her arms. "I'll deal with the children Al-kun. You go ahead and cook dinner." She smiled.

"Thanks Fate." Al replied. Fate walked out from the kitchen and saw Linith, smiling at her.

"I'll take Cecily." Linith said. Fate was about to give Cecily when the little girl held tighter. "Nuh uh! I want to be with big sister Fate. She smells really lovely," the girl grinned.

"Aww, and I smell bad now, Cecily-chan?" Linith made a fake pout.

"No, no. I just want to be with big sister Fate because she is like my mommy and big brother Al is my daddy!" Cecily announced. Fate instantly blushed while Linith couldn't help but chuckle at what the little girl have said. Suddenly, the children all walked towards Fate.

"No fair Cecily! I want a mommy too!" a little girl pouted. The children were now looking at the blonde girl while Cecily just happily hugged Fate. Linith continued to giggle while Fate was blushing brightly red in embarassment.

"You are really enjoying this, aren't you Linith?" Fate said.

"Well, you are really suited to be a mommy." Linith smiled.

Fate sighed. "You aren't really helping Linith-san." She pleaded. Linith giggled as she clapped her hands once. "Alright children, it's time for all of you to clean up your toys for dinner. That includes you, Cecily." She smiled at the little girl.

"Okaaayyy.." Cecily said as Fate gently placed her down on the ground. The little girl walked away with her friends. "I'll be watching the children Fate-chan. Why don't you help Alexander-kun in the kitchen?" the familiar smiled.

"Hmmm, ok." Fate nodded. She walked back towards the kitchen and saw the pots and pans boiling while Al was busy cutting the vegetables with a knife and a chopping board. The blonde was amazed as the black haired, one-eyed man skillfully chopped the lettuce and onions with ease.

"Anything I can do to help?" Fate asked.

Al stopped what he was doing and looked at Fate. "I'm fine Fate. You can just relax in the lounge. I usually cook during Saturday night, so I can handle it." Al replied.

" I'll just sit near the table here. Linith is taking care of the children and the lounge seems too boring for me." Fate smiled as she sat down in a table. Al didn't reply as he concentrated on his task. While he was busy cooking, Fate studied him with curiousity. For some reason, the sweat trickling down from his face, his blue shirt that looked just like second skin on him, his athletic build was the only thing she saw. Fate suddenly noticed how sexy he really was.

Despite having an eye-patch on his left eye, Alexander was a very handsome young man. Fate noted this and as a result, a blush stained her cheeks.

Unfortunately, Al noticed her blush. "Is something the matter Fate? Your face is all red." He asked.

"Oh, it's nothing! It's a bit hot, so I'll just grab something to drink in the refrigerator!" Fate hurriedly said as she opened the refrigerator, turning her back from Al. The young man just shrugged as he placed the onions on the cooking pan.

Fate, however, felt dizzy as her heart began to beat really fast and loud. "I think I may be getting sick. My chest's starting to hurt." She thought.

* * *

**Mid-Childa, TSAB Practice Stadium**

"Uryahhhh!" Erio yelled as he dashed towards Signum. The pink-haird Belkan knight side-stepped and struck her sword at Erio's Strada Mark IV. Vincent was watching the practice together with Anubis, Horus, Caro, Nove and Teana.

"Very good! That's enough for your practice!" Vincent loudly said. "Everyone's been improving really fast and I am sure that big brother Al will be quite happy when he comes back."

"Oh, right. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Alexander-san since morning." Caro said.

"Who's Alexander?" Nove asked. Teana sighed. "You are just like Subaru-chan, Nove-chan! Clueless as ever! Alexander-san is Vincent and Janus-san's elder brother."

"Ohhhh, I see." Nove nodded. "So where is he?"

Anubis snickered. "He's on a date. With Capt. Fate Harlaown."

"Ohhhh, he's on a date with Fate-san..." Teana said. All of a sudden, her eyes widened in pure shock!

"**WHAT? CAPT. LYONEID IS ON A DATE WITH FATE-SAN?**" Teana yelled comically. Erio and Caro were surprised as well while Nove and Signum just looked at them with a clueless face.

"Oh yeah. That brother of mine is a smooth operator indeed." Vincent grinned.

"Wow, Fate-san and Al-san are now dating? This is too fast!" Caro said while patting her cheeks in embarassment.

Erio smirked. "Well, I think they make a really good couple. Al-san is definitely a strong warrior and so is Fate-san. I don't mind having a foster father like him." He grinned.

Teana shuddered. "Wait, wait. How positive are you Vincent-san? Oh my God, just wait till Commander Yagami and the rest hears about this!" she giggled.

"Uhh, I don't think that's a good idea..." Signum said. "Remember what happened when Hayate-sama teased Harlaown-san about her blind date?"

Nove shuddered as she remembered what happened; Fate became really angry with all of them and she refused to talk to all of them for a month out of pure embarassment. Instead, she requested Nanoha to have all of them trained double the amount for a whole week as punishment. But then, she saw Teana slowly tiptoeing from out of their sight.

"Teana-chan!" Nove yelled. "Don't you dare!"

"KYAAA!" Teana yelled as she ran away while Nove started chasing after. Erio and Caro began to laugh while Signum just shook her head. "You two should follow Nove and make sure that she doesn't hurt Lanster-san that much." Signum said to the two children.

"Ok!" Erio said as he pulled Caro by the hand. Signum suddenly noticed Vincent's Armed Device. "Master Vincent, it's about time to take your Armed Device to Master Janus. It needs its monthly maintenance." Horus said.

"Right." Vincent smiled. Signum looked at the Armed Device. "Vincent-san, might I ask a question?" Signum asked.

"Of course." Vincent grinned. "Anything for a beautiful girl like you."

Anubis and Horus shook their heads while Signum just glared. "Come on, I was just kidding!" the man laughed. "Go ahead and ask your question."

"Your Armed Device, Zero Edge...is that a Belkan Armed Device? For some reason, the design is definitely not in accordance with the new types made so I have to assume that it is Belkan." Subaru asked. Vincent's smile faded as he looked at Zero Edge and then at Horus and Anubis.

"No. It's not Belkan nor is it Mid-Childan. I am sure you have heard of Jail Scaglietti's Combat Cyborg Type Zero Project, right?" the man asked.

Subaru nodded. "Yes. When we infiltrated Scaglietti's hideout, we learned everything there is to know about all of his creations."

Vincent grinned. "Well, there was one project that you had no idea about. It's the Cyborg Emperor Project. What he wanted was to create the ultimate cyborg; one that does not rely on emotions. However, things went awry with his plans as Precia Testarossa stole all of his blueprints. She gave the blueprints to my father, Prof, Hestelle Zecherov and presto, you are looking at the complete and modified version of the Cyborg Emperor Project!" Vincent said as he opened his arms as if presenting himself.

Signum just looked at him, definitely unamazed. "So...you are a cyborg? Just like Nakajima-san?" she asked.

"Nakajima? Subaru Nakajima?" Vincent asked.

"Yes. Subaru Nakajima happens to be the living proof of Jail Scaglietti's Cyborg Type Zero Project." Signum replied. When Vincent heard those words, his eyes widened in surprise. Anubis and Horus looked at each other in surprise too.

"Well what did you know?" Anubis said. "It looks like the emperor's finally got his empress."

"Shut the hell up! Crap! I didn't know this at all! This is really bad! No wonder she ran away a few minutes ago!" Vincent said as he began pacing back and forth. Signum was surprised when he saw the once carefree man walking back and forth as if in trouble. "What seems to be the problem? Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"Well Mistress Signum, it's not like you said something wrong." The enormous eagle said. "But you see, we happen to believe that Mr. Scaglietti did something with his Cyborg Type Zero Project which I am pretty sure you are all not aware of."

"Something like what?" Signum blinked. Vincent stopped as he turned to the pink haired woman.

"Jail Scaglietti made a virus program inside the Cyborg Type Zero Program when he first made it. Once it's triggered, Subaru Nakajima will enter into an uncontrolled frenzy and will hunt down the Cyborg Emperor, which happens to be me." The man muttered.

"I see. So you'll just fight Subaru until she's knocked out cold, am I right?" Signum asked.

Vincent scratched his head. "Are you nuts? You think Subaru Nakajima will just enter into her normal Berserk Mode? It's nothing compared to that! She will become a mindless cyborg bent on beating me down because that is what the virus will program her to do! She won't stop until she beats the hell outta me and she will destroy anything and everything that gets in her path!" he exclaimed.

"That is indeed troubling." Signum said. "Perhaps we should consult your brother at once."

"Right. That's the plan! Come on, you two. Let's go back to the laboratory before all hell breaks loose!" Vincent said.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the orphanage within the Uminari countryside...**

"Alright children, it's time for all of you to go to bed!" Linith smiled amidst the boos and complaints coming from the little children. Fate and Al were sitting outside of the balcony. Fate was kind enough to tell them stories about her experiences with Arf, with Nanoha and her friends and her new family. Al just stood in the corner, looking at the night sky.

"You two just relax here in the balcony. Al, you'll guard Fate-chan, won't you?" Linith smiled.

"You really don't have to tell me." Al replied. Fate just giggled while Linith walked inside.

"I do hope the children were not too bothersome." Al said to Fate. The blonde just shook her head.

"Not at all. They are all so adorable, especially Cecily." Fate giggled. Al just nodded as he stared off from a distance. Fate also looked at the night sky, the cold wind blowing her golden hair.

"Those children...their parents were killed by the Warlocks." Al suddenly said. Fate gasped as she looked at Al with a shocked expression. "It was years ago when I was still working for EDEX as a low-class captain when Zealot released a few Warlocks in a community area. It was there where I found Cecily and the other children, terrified to death. It took them months to recuperate from the emotional shock. It's a good thing that Linith was really good in taking care of children."

Fate nodded. "Yes. Linith-san did take care of me. But you knew that already, right?"

Al sighed. "It seems Linith has already told you a bit about my past?" he asked as he looked at her.

"What's so wrong with that?" Fate asked. "You know about my past. Don't I get the chance to know yours as well?"

Suddenly, Al raised both his hands towards hers as he cupped her cheeks. The blonde was blushing brightly red as Al stared at him completely. "A...Al-kun?" she asked.

"Fate, it's better that you don't learn my past or anything about me. You are already living a happy life together with Nanoha and the others. It is unfair that I drag you along with my problems. So for your sake, be content with the fact that I am always around to protect you." Al said.

Fate looked down in embarassment as she felt Al's warm hands on her cheeks. For some reason, she liked being held...by him. Then, she slowly raised her eyes towards Al.

"But Al-kun...Zealot wants me. He wants to kill me, right? So I have the right to know what exactly is going on. I can't just turn a blind eye away from all the details. I want to help! Not just for my sake, but...for your sake as well. I want to help you and your brothers, as well as Cecily and the other children." Fate explained, her red eyes looking at Al as well.

The one-eyed man sighed as he slowly brought down his hands from Fate's cheeks. "You are indeed stubborn." He shook his head. He looked at the sky as he placed his hands on his pocket.

"Alright. I think it's about time that I tell you-" Al stopped when he suddenly looked at the right.

"DUCK!" he yelled as he grabbed Fate as a torrent of ice blades rained towards them! Al held Fate underneath him, shielding her from the attack!

"Ahhh, too bad I spoiled your little romantic scene!" Mistral smiled as she floated in front of them. Al quickly stood up while Fate slowly got up as well.

"Mistral!" Al yelled as he summoned his demonic blade. "You will pay for disturbing the peace!"

"Oh shut up, EDEX dog! I am tired of hearing your barking!" Mistral sneered as she threw something down on the ground. Suddenly, three Warlocks appeared on the very entrance of the orphanage!

"No!" Fate yelled as she took out Bardiche and transformed immediately. "Al-kun, I'll take care of those Warlocks! Please keep everyone inside safe!" she yelled as she jumped down on the ground.

"Fate!" Al yelled. Suddenly, his right eye changed into that of a feral beast. "ANUBIS!"

* * *

**Mid-Childa, TSAB Headquarters**

Anubis' eyes suddenly sharpened when he noticed his master's calling! "Master Al is in trouble!" he growled. Signum, Vincent, Hayate and Vita noticed the wolf's words.

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked.

"Someone is attacking the orphanage. Al and Fate are trying to hold them off. It's Mistral!" Anubis replied. Hayate, Signum and Vita looked at each other.

"How are you able to know this?" Signum asked.

"Master Al and I share a very strong bond. What he sees, I see. However, I will teleport towards him at once. He needs help. Mistral has the ability to summon hundreds of Warlocks within a few minutes time, so it's important that we stop her at once!" Anubis explained as he transformed into a flame.

"Wait! The Riot Force Six will go as well!" Hayate said. She looked at Vita and Signum. "I want the Riot Force Six to assemble within 5 minutes! Call Capt. Takamachi as well, Vita."

"Roger that!" Vita and Signum replied.

"Anubis, leave a trail when you get there. I'll track you down so we can follow!" Vincent said.

"Got it! I'll see you all later!" Anubis said as he vanished into thin air.

* * *

**Meanwhile, back in the orphanage...**

"**Sprite Zanber!**" Fate roared as she destroyed a protective shield that a Warlock cast around itself. She easily cut off the creature's source of power and destroyed it completely! "Wow, I can easily defeat them without problems! Al-kun's training was really effective!" she thought as she prepared herself against two more Warlocks. She looked above and saw Al hit Mistral with his demon blade!

"Urgh!" Mistral yelled as she flew away. Al landed in front of Fate, clutching his demon blade tight. Fate looked at the enemies while she and Al faced the opposite direction behind each other's back.

"Are you alright?" Al asked. Fate just nodded. "I'm just fine, thanks to your training!" she smiled. The Warlocks suddenly attacked them both. Fate ducked as Al swung his sword towards a Warlock, who was about to attack Fate. Fate slid underneath Al and stabbed the core section of a Warlock facing Al's behind! Their attack was perfectly coordinated as both of them dashed towards the last Warlock, with Al stabbing its head and Fate stabbing the core section of the monster with Bardiche Zanber. The Warlock simply stood there, lifeless.

"Nice move." Al said. Fate just smiled as the creature fell on the ground. Everything went quiet as Al ran forward, looking to and fro.

"Where's that demoness?" he asked.

"I'm right here. And it seems I have a little surprise for all of you!" Mistral chuckled as she held Cecily in her arms! The poor girl was crying in fear. Fate gasped while Linith walked out from the room.

"Cecily! Oh no!" Linith yelled. Al angrily held his sword.

"Sister Cat-Ears! Big brother Al! Heeellp!" Cecily cried.

"Put her down right now!" Fate yelled angrily!

"No! I will only put her down if you, Project FATE, should come with me!" Mistral smiled.

"Hell no! I won't allow you to lay a finger on Fate!" Al angrily roared!

"Oh well, too bad for this child then!" Mistral yawned as she attempted to throw Cecily on the ground. "Wait! Don't do it!" Fate yelled. She looked at Linith and then at Al.

"Please, I have to do it. Otherwise, Cecily will die." Fate pleaded. Al said nothing as he looked down on the ground. Mistral smiled triumphantly as Fate started to float in front of Al.

"Al...I'm so sorry..." Fate smiled. However, Al suddenly held her hand!

"Sonic Sail. Now." The one-eyed man whispered as his eyes looked past behind her. Fate's eyes widened when she turned around and saw Anubis appear behind Mistral!

"Eh?" Mistral shrieked.

"**GUTTER FANG!**" Anubis yelled as the werewolf clipped off Mistral's batlike-wings! The demoness yelled in pain as Anubis grabbed her throat. But Cecily began to fall down from the sky! "Cecily!" Linith yelled in horror.

"**SONIC SAIL! Sonic Drive, Ignition!**" Fate yelled as she moved like the wind up into the sky. In seconds, she caught Cecily in her arms, to Linith's relief. Anubis reappeared, holding Mistral. The werewolf threw her on the ground as the demoness started to crawl away from him. Suddenly, she stopped when she noticed two people standing in front of her.

"In the name of the Time Space Administration Bureau, you are now under arrest." Hayate Yagami said while wearing her Barrier Jacket. Nanoha stood beside her, together with Signum and Vita, in her Barrier Jacket Form as well while Subaru, Teana, Caro and Erio ran towards the orphanage. Vincent and Janus appeared together with Grandeur.

"Everything seems to be in one piece." Janus said. Grandeur looked at Mistral and scoffed. "She's under your jurisdiction now, Capt. Takamachi and Commander Yagami. Do what you want with her." The middle aged woman said.

"Right. Vita and Signum, please arrange a special cage for her." Nanoha said to the two.

"Roger." Vita said as she began calling through her communications link.

"If you think that my master is going to back down, you are dead wrong!" Mistral grumbled.

"Save your words for later, demoness." Signum said. Then, they saw Fate and Al running towards them. "Hayate-chan! Nanoha-chan! You're all here?" Fate said in wonder.

"Yep. Everyone's here, Fate-chan!" Nanoha smiled. Al walked towards Vincent and Janus. "Nice timing, you two. Now that we captured Mistral, we can finally locate where Zealot is hiding." He said. However, he suddenly noticed Janus and Vincent looking at him with naughty smiles.

"Riiiight." Vincent grinned. "So how did the date go?"

Al blushed. "Vincent, you mouthy idiot! What have you been telling them?" he yelled.

"Don't blame him big brother. It was Anubis who spoiled everything to Teana and Signum, so..." Janus chuckled. "Are you and Capt. Harlaown...you know..." he laughed as he made a sign with his two index fingers, indicating that they were now a couple.

Al and Fate both blushed. "Awww, they look so cute! Both of them are blushing!" Hayate giggled.

"Hayate-chan! Al-kun and I are friends! And it wasn't a date!" Fate stammered, her face still red in embarassment. Nanoha simply giggled while the rest of them were all laughing. Subaru and Teana returned with Erio, Caro, Linith, and the rest of the children.

"Everyone is safe and sound, Commander Yagami! However, a small part of the house was damaged when the demoness attacked and captured one of the children, so we will have to make some small repairs on it." Teana reported. Subaru stood there but when she saw Vincent, she immediately looked away. Vincent caught her expression and simply said nothing.

"I see. I guess that's a problem." Hayate said. Suddenly, Cecily walked forward in front all of them. "That's no problem. All of us will stay with big sister Fate and big brother Al then!" she smiled.

"What?" Hayate asked in amusement. Fate was amazed at how the little girl was now smiling as if nothing happened. Subaru and Teana started to circle the little girl out of curiousity.

"Wow, you're so cute! What's your name?" Nanoha smiled at Cecily.

"My name is Cecily. I don't have a last name because I don't have a family. But soon, when big sister Fate and big brother Al get married, I'll be their little girl." Cecily announced. Fate began to blush again while Al just slapped his hand on his face. Linith just giggled uncontrollably, her right hand covering her mouth to stop herself from laughing loud.

"Wow. She's definitely taken a liking to you Capt. Harlaown!" Subaru grinned.

"One more word from both of you and you will both have extra training time." Fate simply said, earning a shudder from both Subaru and Teana.

"Why do you want to have Fate-chan and Al-kun as your mama and papa, Cecily-chan?" Nanoha continued.

"Nanoha!" Fate yelled while Nanoha just grinned. Al was too embarassed to look at the whole scene as he turned around.

"Weeeelll..." Cecily fidgeted. "I saw big brother Al holding big sister Fate's cheeks, like this!" she demonstrated as she cupped Nanoha's cheeks with both her hands! The poor blonde just blushed even brightly red while Al began to sweat uncontrollably. Vincent, Janus and even Grandeur were now slapping their hands on their mouths, trying to stop from laughing!

"Cecily! I told you that peeping is not good." Linith said.

"My, my! I like this child!" Hayate beamed. "Do you want to live with me and my family Cecily-chan? I can teach you a lot of things!"

"Master, I don't think that's a good idea." Signum and Vita worriedly said.

"Sorry, but I just want to live with big brother Al and big sister Fate." Cecily smiled. Nanoha and the others were laughing out of pure delight with Cecily. Janus and Vincent suddenly slapped their hands on Al's shoulders.

"Congratulations big brother! Now you have a family of your own!" Janus smiled. Al instantly smacked their heads with his fist. Grandeur stepped forward towards Hayate, Fate and Nanoha.

"It's not a problem. I can arrange for a house where they can stay at the moment." Grandeur smiled. "As for you Cecily, you'll be living with your friends, okay?"

"Okaaayyy..." Cecily sadly replied. Fate crouched as she cupped Cecily's face. "But don't worry, Cecily-chan! Me and my friends will visit you and your friends sometime soon. So don't be sad, okay?" she smiled. Cecily's face brightened up when she heard what Fate said.

"Really? That's a promise, okay?" she said as she offered a pinky promise at Fate. Fate responded by answering her pinky promise. "It's a promise!" she replied.

Grandeur smiled at the scene when suddenly, her phone started ringing. "Hello?" she answered. "Yes, this is Grandeur." Her expression suddenly changed to serious. "What? Are you sure? Damnit! Not now! Those fools! They're going to ruin everything!" she muttered as she closed her phone.

"What's wrong Grandeur-san?" Nanoha asked.

"We may have a problem. EDEX's higher-ups have decided to act on the Warlock Case. They are going to meet up with TSAB and discuss about the present situation." Grandeur said. Fate looked at Al and noticed that his expression has also changed. His eyes became cold and unreadable, just like when they first met. Vincent and Janus also became silent.

"So what's wrong with that?" Hayate asked. Grandeur hissed as she opened a pack of cigarettes.

"Those higher-ups...were the ones responsible for putting Professor Zecherov in jail." She hissed.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's Notes: **I think I am starting to like the development between Vincent and Subaru (Cyborg Emperor V.S Cyborg Type Zero). LOL! And if you haven't noticed, Janus is the only one without a pair! Should he be paired with one of the lovely ladies from TSAB? Haha! In any case, things are going to be very interesting for the next chapter. I'll keep you all posted! Have a good day!


	13. Part 12 The Beginning of the End

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"No, no. I just want to be with big sister Fate because she is like my mommy and big brother Al is my daddy!"_

* * *

_Signum just looked at him, definitely unamazed. "So...you are a cyborg? Just like Nakajima-san?" she asked._

_"Nakajima? Subaru Nakajima?" Vincent asked._

_"Yes. Subaru Nakajima happens to be the living proof of Jail Scaglietti's Cyborg Type Zero Project." Signum replied. When Vincent heard those words, his eyes widened in surprise. Anubis and Horus looked at each other in surprise too._

* * *

_"Those children...their parents were killed by the Warlocks." Al suddenly said._

* * *

_"**SONIC SAIL! Sonic Drive, Ignition!**" Fate yelled as she moved like the wind up into the sky. In seconds, she caught Cecily in her arms, to Linith's relief._

* * *

_"We may have a problem. EDEX's higher-ups have decided to act on the Warlock Case. They are going to meet up with TSAB and discuss about the present situation." Grandeur said. Fate looked at Al and noticed that his expression has also changed. His eyes became cold and unreadable, just like when they first met._

* * *

**Part 12 - The Beginning of the End**

**Mid-Childa Sewers**

"What? Mistral was captured?" Swordheart gasped.

Teskelon, the evil Warlock clown, grinned. "Yes, it would seem so. The demoness is locked up tight inside the TSAB compound, just as we expected..." the creature hissed in pleasure. "Not like she would stand against the Demon Blade and Project FATE..kekekekeke"

"Wait, why are you so happy about it? Isn't that bad? Surely, both TSAB and EDEX will now learn what our plans are!" Swordheart muttered. A woman's chuckle was suddenly heard as Brunhild appeared before the two, dressed in a sexy white gown and holding a skull scepter.

"You are surely lacking in strategy, my dear Swordheart..." Brunhild smiled. "Mistral's capture...was all part of our plan. My insect scouts have detected that there is a problem with one of TSAB's finest mages. Subaru Nakajima, the Type Zero cyborg. She'll provide the perfect distraction while we attend to our real goal; the complete annihilation of TSAB and EDEX, as well as the death of Project Fate and the Demon Blade."

"Ohhhh, can I kill her after we are done using her?" Teskelon sneered, his happy face suddenly twisted and changed into an angry one. "I'll make sure the bitch will suffer!"

"No one touches my creation unless I say so..." a smooth voice said as Brunhild looked behind him. The purple haired man slowly walked out from the dark portion of the sewers and revealed himself.

"Surely, my lady. You can't afford such a better hideout? It stinks in here...just like your henchmen." Jail Scaglietti scoffed. Swordheart clutched his sword angrily. "What did you just say?" he growled.

"Swordheart! Cease this nonsense!" Brunhild exclaimed. The man looked at her and calmed down. "I apologize, but this is the best place for our Master to gain his strength. Right here, within these very sewers, is the gateway to opening the Unholy Gate, the tomb where Zecherov sealed the body of the Tri-GOD." the woman explained.

"Tri-GOD huh?" Jail asked. "It seemed that Zecherov was able to seal the Tri-GOD after all. But was he able to destroy the Container?"

"No. The Container still lives...and has in fact contacted Fate Testarossa Harlaown, Project FATE..." Brunhild replied.

"Too bad for all of you then." Jail grinned. "When the Container finally accomplishes his goal, Fate T. Harlaown will be unstoppable. She'll eventually destroy your precious Tri-GOD."

"That is the reason why I rescued you from Gruen, Doctor Scaglietti. You will help us find hidden records inside the TSAB headquarters while we eliminate Project Fate. As for the Container, you need not worry. He won't be able to accomplish his mission." Brunhild explained.

"Hmm, quite confident, are we?" Jail asked.

Brunhild just displayed a cold smile on her face as she slowly walked away.

* * *

**Mid-Childa, TSAB Command Headquarters, Riot Force Six Division**

Al looked at the monitor while Vita and Signum were shown on the device, interrogating Mistral. The demoness was strapped on a chair with energy fields surrounding the chair. The one-eyed man sighed as he sat down on a chair. The door suddenly opened and he saw Fate holding a tray with two coffee mugs.

"It's already 1 am and you are still not sleeping Al-kun?" Fate asked as he gave Al a mug.

"Thanks for the coffee. No, I can't pass this chance. I have to know what Zealot is planning." Al explained as he sipped his coffee. Suddenly, he stopped mid-way and looked at his mug.

"What's wrong Al-kun?" Fate asked as she sat down in a chair opposite to him.

"Strange. Were you the one who prepared this?" Al asked. Fate gave a bright smile. "Yup. I asked Grandeur-san what kind of coffee you'd like. I noticed that she was giving me a very strange smile, but she told me you want Arabian with three lumps of sugar." she explained.

"That old hag!" Al angrily thought. He sighed when he learned what happened. "Oh, I see..." he muttered as he placed the coffee down. "It's exactly the way I like it. Thanks." he smiled. Fate stared at him and started to giggle.

"What?" Al asked.

"You know, at first you were really cold. Everyone was really wary of you." Fate softly said. "But now, you're starting to smile. It's like you are starting to become...like a normal human. "

"Hey, that's a little mean. I am not that cold." Al frowned. Fate giggled again. "I know, I'm sorry. But...you know..." Fate nodded. "You could smile most of the time. I think everyone would like that. Even I would like it too."

"Huh?" Al asked, wide-eyed. Fate suddenly realized what she said and a huge blush appeared on her face. "No! No! I mean...everyone would want to see you cheer up Al-kun! That's basically it!" she exclaimed. Al just looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Hmmm, if you say so." the man replied as he continued to drink his coffee.

Fate sighed. "Phew...why the heck did I say those things? And why is my heart beating so fast?" she muttered in her thoughts as she listened to her rapidly beating heart. "I should really talk with Shamal about this. I might be falling ill or something." she thought as she also sipped her coffee. The door opened again, this time Vita and Signum appeared, looking tired as well.

"It's no use. No matter how hard we ask, she won't budge." Vita complained as she sat down. "The damned devil! I wish I could just knock her out with Graf Eisen..." the red-haired girl grumbled.

Signum smiled. "Now, now Vita."she patted Vita's head. "She won't talk Captain. We managed to get a few information about her friends." she said as she touched a button on the monitor. The monitor flashed with the image of a muscular man wearing the EDEX uniform.

"Apparently, Swordheart was once a member of EDEX but defected to Zealot's side after you engaged and defeated him in combat." Fate said as she looked at the monitor.

"Swordheart was corrupt as hell. He used his influence to gather a small army of crooks back then. He only joined Zealot when I defeated him and sent him to jail too many times." Al said.

"Mistral is a demoness that Zealot summoned." Signum said as the monitor changed with Mistral's profile. "She's extremely loyal to Zealot and has powers that can match those of Reinforce Zwei or Agito. I am a bit surprised to learn that there are some forces that resemble Belkan magic."

"Believe me, you don't know the half of it." Al said. "There's a theory that the original Intelligent Devices were once the souls of great humans who defended the righteous and protected the weak. My father researched it but was unable to come up with an answer."

"Souls? Are you serious?" Vita asked.

"I am not sure." Al replied. He stood up and walked towards the monitor. "These two are not the ones whom you should be wary of. It's these guys whom you should be aware of." he said as he changed the view to that of Teskelon and Brunhild. Fate frowned when she saw Teskelon's picture; she remembered Nanoha and Hayate's story of an evil looking clown who broke Raising Heart in two.

"Teskelon's powerful. He can hold off one or two Class SS mages on his own. As for Brunhild, she's a new member. I haven't had the chance to fight her." Al said as he looked at the monitor.

"In any case, we will be prepared." Signum said. "Everyone's been training really hard according to your training regimen Captain. Vincent-san has also been kind enough to help us with our training."

"That's good." Al replied. "By the way, how is Subaru? Is she alright?"

"She's in the laboratory with Teana-chan and Nove-chan. Shamal-chan and Shari-chan are both with Janus-kun and are helping study Subaru-chan's case." Fate answered. Al nodded as he sat down again.

"I can hardly believe that what Vincent-san said is true. Is there really a virus inside Nakajima-san?" Signum asked.

"That's what the younger Lyoneid-san said." Vita muttered. "That coward Scaglietti! I wish I could go to Gruen and beat him to a pulp!"

"Don't worry. Janus-kun is a very talented and brilliant scientist. Besides, he knows everything there is to know about TSAB technology. He's repaired Raising Heart in a flash, so I'm sure Subaru is in good hands." Fate replied.

Al nodded. "Alright. You three can go and rest. I have to go and meet with Grandeur. The EDEX officials are arriving tomorrow and I have to wear my goddamn uniform." he sighed.

"Oh...right." Fate said as she stood up. "Oh well, I better go to the laboratory and see Shamal. There's something I need to ask her. Are you going with me Vita-chan? Signum-san?"

"Yeah, okay. We needed to see Shamal too. See you later Captain!" Vita said. The three women were about to go out when Signum stopped. She walked back inside the room, to which Fate noticed. Al saw Signum behind him.

"What's wrong Signum?" he asked. Signum gave a bow with her head.

"I wish to thank you for personally helping me with my training. Now I feel that I am more powerful than ever." Signum said in gratitude. Fate just quietly looked at them while Vita stood outside.

"That's not a problem. I was glad to be able to help." Al replied.

"Please forgive my selfishness...but would you please continue to help me with my training?" Signum asked. Al silently looked at the woman while Fate looked at the scene with a heavy heart. She felt a small amount of pressure within her chest, making her frown; an expression that Vita saw with her eyes.

"Alright. I don't see a problem with that...don't you, Fate?" Al asked. Fate was surprised that Al noticed her looking at them.

"Oh...that's fine! I don't think you need to ask for my permission about that." Fate replied.

"She's your subordinate Fate...so she needs to ask for your permission." Al crossed his arms. For the first time, Vita noticed a look of irritation on Fate's face.

"Well, you taught her the first time even if she didn't ask for my permission. So why ask now?" Fate smiled yet her voice was clearly different. The blonde woman immediately turned around, gave a low grunt and walked away from the room.

"Huh? What's with her?" Al asked. Signum just stood their silently. She noticed that something was indeed wrong. As for Vita, she clearly remembered that that was the same kind of tone that Nanoha would use when she found out that Yuuno was talking with another girl inside the Infinite Library. Al simply grunted as he turned around and continued working.

Signum went out from the room while Vita followed her. "Hey Signum, did you notice Harlaown-san's expression? It was like as if she's angry or something..."

"Yes, I noticed that. Do you think...she is angry with me? Did she take offense about my secret training with Lyoneid-san?" Signum asked.

"Secret training? What secret training?"

Signum and Vita saw Nanoha and Yuuno behind them. "Uhhh...well..." Vita paused.

"I heard Fate-chan's name being mentioned Vita-chan, so please don't lie to me." Nanoha gave a smile that felt really dangerous for the two former Wolkenritter. Yuuno didn't even dare speak.

* * *

**TSAB Command, Admiral's Office**

"I see. So EDEX Main Command wants to talk with me?" Admiral Chrono Harlaown asked. Grandeur and Hayate were with him, along with Lindy Harlaown.

"Yes. They eventually found out about our mutual cooperation and would like to personally thank you for aiding EDEX in its campaign against the Warlocks." Grandeur replied.

"Alright. I hope they don't expect me to accompany them all the time. I have loads of work to do." Admiral Harlaown said. Hayate grinned as she did a mock salute.

"That's exactly the reason why I am here together with Grandeur-san. We'll be in-charge of these elderly bunch while you work your butt off in your comfortable desk." Hayate said.

"Gee, thanks a lot Commander Yagami..." Admiral Harlaown said with sarcasm.

"You should be thankful that Hayate-chan is here to help out. I didn't have anyone to rely with when I was still an Admiral." Lindy reminded Chrono.

"Yes Mother..." Chrono sighed, earning a giggle from Hayate.

"Fortunately, it seems like there's a change of command in EDEX while I was here." Grandeur smiled. "The recent Commander for External Affairs resigned a few weeks ago and someone was able to take the position. The good thing about this is that the new Commander is a very good friend of the three brothers. His name is Charles Resolute. He won't give us any problems at all."

"Is that so? I take it he knows what happened with Al-san and his brothers?" Hayate asked.

"Yes. Charles was a dear friend of Prof. Zecherov. Also, he's been investigating the Tri-GOD incident and he said that he's managed to find important clues regarding what really happened to the professor and the three boys when the Tri-GOD disappeared."

"Hmmm, I see." Hayate nodded. The brunette remembered what she saw while investigating Admiral Harlaown's computer drive. She managed to download all the information while the admiral was out during a meeting.

**FLASHBACK**

_"I got nothing Mistress. The TSAB database about the Tri-GOD Project is empty. I'm sorry." Reinforce Zwei sadly said as she finished looking at the database._

_"That's ok Rein. You tried your best." Hayate smiled. Agito yawned as she sat on the floor together with Rein. "The damned drive's completely clean. I scanned the thing for three times already, but there's no hidden folder. Or maybe we have the wrong drive." the red-haired girl sighed._

_Hayate sighed as she looked at the computer when her phone rang. "Hello? Yagami Residence?" she asked._

_"Hello Hayate, it's me, Janus Lyoneid?" Janus spoke on the other line. Hayate suddenly sat up straight on her chair. Rein and Agito curiously looked at their master as Hayate walked a bit farther from them._

_"Vita told me you hacked into one of Admiral Harlaown's computer drive?" Janus asked on the other line._

_"Oh, well..." Hayate chuckled. "I always do what I have to do in order to get what I want, Janus-kun."_

_"Hmmm, I see. I take it you are having problems accessing the files?" the boy replied._

_"Wow, how did you know?" the brunette said._

_"The files about the Tri-GOD can only be seen by sensor verification. If you can bring the drive in the laboratory, I'll help you unlock it." Janus said._

_"Oh, alright then" Hayate replied. "I'll visit you in the laboratory tomorrow."_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Other matters aside..." Admiral Harlaown pushed his chair away from his desk. "What's this I hear about my sister going out with Alexander Lyoneid?" he asked. Grandeur and Hayate looked at each other.

"My, my...I didn't know you were into gossip, Admiral?" Hayate grinned.

"So, is it true then?" Lindy asked with a little excitement on her voice. Grandeur shook her head.

"That's for them to know and for all of us to find out. Don't you agree, Admiral Harlaown?" she smiled. The admiral chuckled as he sat down on his table again.

"Well, you'd be surprised to know that if this is indeed true, then I don't have any objections." the admiral spoke. "Sure, your nephew's weird and cold, but he can get the job done. Also, Mother's been a little worried about Fate not having a boyfriend, so she'll finally stop pressing me to find her a 'nice' man to date with." Chrono complained, ending it with a sigh.

"Of course! I don't want your sister to grow up as an old maid!" Lindy protested.

"Huh, now that's surprising. You normally don't like the guys whom Fate dated before." Hayate giggled.

"Let's just say that Lyoneid's a special case." Admiral Harlaown replied. "He has this...weird sense of honesty and dedication...it's like he'll never leave my sister, no matter what. Call it crazy, but I feel that when I see him."

"Nah, you ain't crazy. It's actually true." Grandeur grinned. "My stupid nephew would probably kill anyone who dares to hurt your sister. He's been really faithful towards his father's promise."

* * *

**TSAB Laboratory**

"Alright, all done." Janus Lyoneid said as he held a syringe with his left hand. Subaru Nakajima tearfully held a small cotton wad on her left arm while holding it firmly on her shoulder.

"You crybaby. That was just a small syring, for crying out loud!" Teana grumbled.

"But it hurts..." Subaru sniffled. Nove just shook her head while Erio and Caro sighed. "Sorry, but this is for your own good Subaru." Vincent Lyoneid said. "I figured the reason why you left in panic the other day was because of the Berserk Virus that Jail left in your body. The reaction from seeing my Armed Device must have triggered one of the symptoms of the virus."

"Berserk Virus?" Subaru asked.

"Yeah, well..." Vincent nodded. "Years ago, Precia Testarossa stole the 'Cyborg Emperor' template from Scaglietti and gave the plans to our father, Prof. Zecherov. Dad redefined the template and created Zero Edge. Jail's pretty pissed off, so he created the Berserk Virus and installed it unto your mainframe. It's a good thing the virus is still dormant."

"What would have happened if the Berserk Virus were to go active?" Teana asked.

Vincent scratched his head. "Virtually, Subaru would be indestructible. She'll probably go on a rampage here in Mid-childa, looking to fight me. And I'll be forced to kill her in order to stop her." the man grinned, earning a look of shock from Subaru, Nove and Teana.

"W...Well, we're lucky that Vincent-san was able to check on the problem as well as with Janus-san for curing Subaru-chan..." Caro spoke.

Janus shook. "That wasn't a cure. It was just a temporary vaccine. The virus needs a genetic code in order to stop itself from functioning. Therefore, we will need to get a hold of Jail Scaglietti's DNA in order to create a permanent anti-virus vaccine." he explained.

Subaru grinned. "Ah well, at least I'm fine for now. Thank you Janus-san. And, uh, thank you Vincent-san for helping me out. I'm sorry with how I reacted the other day." the girl said.

Vincent grinned. "Oh, no worries. I totally understand." the man said. Suddenly, the door opened and Fate looked to and fro inside the laboratory. Erio and Caro smiled when they saw their adoptive mother.

"Hi Fate-san! Were you looking for someone?" Erio asked.

"Oh, I'm looking for Shamal-san. Have you seen her, Erio-kun?" Fate forced a smile. Caro and Erio instantly noticed that something was not right.

"Shamal-san? She's in the clinic. I saw her talking with Nanoha-san inside." Nove replied.

"I see. I better get going. Thanks." Fate said as she walked away. When the blonde Captain was far away, Teana huddled close to Nove and Subaru. "Is it me or was Fate-san looking a little irritated?" she asked.

"Hmm? Fate-san seems fine to me." Nove replied.

"Um, I don't think so." Caro meekly replied. "I think something was troubling her. Don't you think so, Erio-kun?" she asked her partner.

Erio nodded. "Yeah. She reminds me of the time when Lutecia and I went out for a walk in the park and you got left behind. That was exactly your expression when I came back, Caro-chan."

A vein popped in Caro's forehead. "So that was what you were doing with Lutecia-chan, Erio-kun?" she smiled dangerously. Erio gulped in terror as Caro angrily clutched his jacket.

"N..No! We were just walking! Just plain walking!" Erio stammered.

"Ahhh, young love indeed..." Nove grinned at the two. Erio and Caro looked at the former Number and blushed.

"Are you kids saying that Harlaown's jealous with someone?" Vincent suddenly muttered. Nove, Subaru and Teana stared at Vincent with wide-eyes. Janus slapped his forehead in embarassment.

"What? What did I say?" Vincent asked.

"Thanks for the observation, Captain Obvious..." Janus smirked.

* * *

Al continued to work inside the office when he suddenly felt a searing pain in his head. "Arrgghhh!" he winced as he held his hand unto his left eye. He shook violently as he dropped on the floor, groaning and panting. Blood suddenly dropped on the floor as Al held on unto his chair.

"Master!" Anubis suddenly appeared as a black flame. "Are you alright?" as he transformed into a werewolf, helping Al to stand up. The one-eyed man managed to sit in the chair but he looked at his left hand. Blood was still dripping from his hidden left eye.

"Master...your left eye...it's bleeding!" Anubis exclaimed.

Al nodded. "Yeah. Which is why...I can't just sit here and rest..." he stood up again. "I can't continue living with two powers stuck up inside my body. Somehow, I need to understand how to finally release the second power. The Tri-GOD is being revived at a very fast pace and Fate is going to need all the help she can get..." Al groaned as he grabbed a folder.

"So you've already figured everything Master?" Anubis asked.

"Yeah. Eventually, the secondary power was the ultimate solution that my father was planning during that time." Al panted weakly as he wiped the blood away from his eyes. "Everything's explained here, in my father's secret folder." Al explained. "If we can get the Container to be purified by Fate's device, Bardiche, then she'll have the means to defeat Zealot and the Tri-GOD."

"Purified? By Fate's device? Master, what are you saying?" Anubis asked. Al didn't reply as he continued working on his own. Anubis grunted as he transformed into his wolf form, quietly guarding his master.

* * *

**No. 65 Prison Cell, TSAB Headquarters Prison**

Mistral silently sat inside the cell, sighing out of boredom. One of the guards looked at her while the other guard just stood there, watching around. "Is she really a demoness? I can't believe that the Riot Force Six actually captured her. From what I heard, a demoness was really difficult to defeat." the guard asked.

"I don't know. Will you just shut your mouth? You're being-" the guard replied when he noticed the floor started to move underneath. A sharp stake suddenly impaled the two guards as Brunhild, Swordheart, Teskelon and Jail Scaglietti came out from the ground.

Mistral stood up and smiled. "About time, Brunhild. Get me outta here."

Swordheart raised his sword and easily destroyed the cell. Mistral walked out and stretched her bat-like wings. "Now that I'm out, it's time that we start this party!" the demoness chuckled.

"Teskelon, you know what to do. Swordheart and Mistral, keep the Riot Force Six occupied while me and Mr. Scaglietti will take care of official business." Brunhild said.

"Kekekekeke, this is going to be so much fun!" Teskelon shrieked as he disappeared into smoke.

"We won't fail you, Lady Brunhild." Swordheart said as he walked out from the room. Mistral soon followed the swordsman.

"Well now, I suppose we should start with our mission?" Jail asked the woman.

"Of course. But I was thinking of letting you meet with your old enemies. Will you join me in destroying the Three Aces of TSAB?" Brunhild asked.

"Well now, that is an offer that I couldn't refuse. But tell me, what exactly is your 'Master' doing below?" Jail Scaglietti asked.

"My master is gathering all the magical energies of Mid-Childa and is reviving the Tri-GOD with it. Once it is complete, the Tri-GOD will destroy everything in its path upon the orders of my master, Zealot." Brunhild explained. Jail nodded as he placed his hands on his pocket. An explosion suddenly erupted as the whole area shook violently.

"Very well, lead on my Mistress." the man replied.

* * *

**TSAB, Riot Force Six Division Commander's Office**

"WHAT THE?" Hayate yelled as she held on unto her table. The alarm rang all over the headquarters as Subaru, Erio, Caro and Teana ran inside the commander's office!

"We're under attack! That Swordheart guy suddenly appeared from the ring wing of the headquarters!" Subaru yelled. Hayate stood up and transformed into her Barrier Jacket.

"This is an order! All available units scramble!" the commander yelled.

* * *

**TSAB Laboratory**

"That was an explosion!" Signum muttered. Vita and Shari stood up while Vincent and Janus looked at each other. The two cats, Isis and Baast, appeared before Janus

"It's an invasion! Zealot and his minions are here!" Baast yelled.

"What?" Vita roared.

"I knew it! Something was definitely off when that demoness was easily defeated!" Vincent yelled. Another explosion rocked the whole TSAB base. "Kyaaaaa!" Shari yelled but Janus held her in his arms as Vincent held Signum and Vita.

"Attention! All available TSAB mages! Code red! We are under attack! Code Red!" an announcement rang all over the base.

"This is bad! We were completely taken by surprise!" Vita grumbled.

"Not quite." Janus said as he suddenly pushed a small button on his computer. "I knew something was off, so I had taken the liberty of upgrading all of your weapon systems at once." the boy said as he began to type rapidly on his main console.

"Initiating AUTO-UPGRADE SOFTWARE "INCANTIUS"... Auto-upgrade activated." the computer spoke when Vita and Signum felt their Devices glowing. After a few minutes, both Wolkenritter were now clad with their newly improved Barrier Forms.

"What the-" Vita exclaimed. "My clothes changed!"

"Indeed. Shari and I have worked tirelessly for this. There simply wasn't enough time to manually upgrade all of Riot Force Six's Devices, so this will have to do." Janus said.

"Well done, Lyoneid-san." Signum smiled. "I'm sure Levatein feels stronger now."

"Don't forget Graf Eisen! Grr, I feel the need to pound that Swordheart jerk to bits!" Vita grinned.

"But please be careful, the upgrade only lasts for 24 hours." Shari exclaimed.

"No worries." Vincent said. "I'll help them out. Janus, you better go and check on Grandeur. She's helpless, you know..."

"I heard that!" Grandeur suddenly yelled as a communicator popped open in Janus' computer. Behind the woman was Admiral Chrono Harlaown and a number of EDEX and TSAB soldiers holding off the invading Warlocks.

"Be careful!"Grandeur yelled. "All of Zealot's minions are here! From what I can tell, they're desperate to kill Captain Harlaown! You have to go and keep her safe!"

"But big brother Al is with her, right? Surely, he can just kill all of them on his own..." Vincent replied.

Grandeur suddenly fell silent. "Look, you two. Your big brother...he's not ok, got it?" the woman said.

Janus frowned. "What? What do you mean?" he asked. Grandeur yelled on the monitor as she ordered her soldiers to defend Admiral Harlaown. She faced the monitor again.

"Hey! Janus asked you what's wrong with big brother Al! Speak up, you old hag!" Vincent angrily yelled.

"Your brother is dying!" Grandeur yelled in anger as small tears appeared from her eyes. Vincent and Janus stared at her in shock while Shari, Vita and Signum couldn't believe what they heard.

"Wait, what? What nonsense are you talking about?" Janus yelled. "Explain it to me! Why is big brother Al dying?" the brunette roared . Grandeur was now crying as she weakly sniffled in front of them. Suddenly, the monitor exploded as Janus and Vincent saw a sharp object on the monitor.

"Booo hooo...the Demon Blade is finally dying. What a pity." a shrill voice was heard as Vita and Signum held their weapons in anger. It was Teskelon, his smiling mask glinting dangerously as Warlocks appeared by his side.

"I suppose the Demon Blade is to be commended for keeping both the power of Destroyer and the Container within himself for so long. He must have adored Project Fate to the point of sacrificing his own life..." The clown shrieked in laughter.

"What...What are you talking about?" Shari stammered. Suddenly, a spark erupted as Janus was filled with an overflowing current of energy around his body.

"It seems...you may have the answers to all my questions, Teskelon." Janus said. Vincent slowly backed away, pulling Vita, Shari and Signum towards him.

"Brother, please get out from the laboratory. I'll deal with him on my own." Janus muttered, not raising his gaze at Vincent.

"Got it. C'mon, you three, let's go."Vincent said.

"But will Janus-san be alright?" Shari yelled. Teskelon suddenly raised his arm towards the girls. "Kill them, my pets!" as Warlocks began to attack. Janus suddenly appeared before the Warlocks and easily killed them with his chains!

"Never make Janus Lyoneid angry. That's what big brother Al tells me all the time!" Vincent yelled. Vita and Signum were surprised too as they felt the great change that they felt from the youngest Lyoneid.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Janus yelled. Vincent nodded as he ran out from the room, with Vita and Signum following him. Shari stopped midway as she looked at Janus. "Please be careful, Janus-kun..." she whispered as she looked at him one last time.

"I will." Janus smiled. Shari sighed as she quickly ran out of the room. Janus looked at Teskelon with pure anger in his eyes. "Well now..." he paused as his chains appeared from his hands. "Should we start, Teskelon? My chains are aching to start probing your lifeless body."

* * *

**TSAB Infirmary**

Mistral walked casually as her Warlocks surrounded her. "Oh boo...there's no one here..." she yawned. Suddenly, a pink orb flew past her and destroyed the Warlocks who were behind her. The demoness stared in shock as she saw Nanoha Takamachi and Fate Testarossa Harlaown, both in their Barrier Jackets.

"My, my...this is flattering. The Ace of Aces of TSAB and the legendary Project FATE..." Mistral sneered. "Looks like this is going to be a great battle indeed."

"Well, I can't say for sure demoness." Nanoha smiled. "Obviously, you haven't fought Fate-chan when she's upset." she giggled.

"Nanoha-chan..." Fate shook her head. "Can we discuss that later?"

"Nyahahaha, sorry Fate-chan!" Nanoha chuckled. Mistral laughed as she summoned new Warlocks to her side. Fate and Nanoha got ready, holding their Devices in preparation.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**

**Author's Notes: **Finally! An update! Phew! As the title suggests, there will only be a few chapters left until the end of my very first fanfic. Things are really going to be messy from here on out, so hold on to your seats people. See you next chapter! And keep those reviews coming!


	14. Part 13 A Tragic Victory

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"Mistral's capture...was all part of our plan. My insect scouts have detected that there is a problem with one of TSAB's finest mages. Subaru Nakajima, the Type Zero cyborg. She'll provide the perfect distraction while we attend to our real goal; the complete annihilation of TSAB and EDEX, as well as the death of Project Fate and the Demon Blade."_

* * *

_"These two are not the ones whom you should be wary of. It's these guys whom you should be aware of." he said as he changed the view to that of Teskelon and Brunhild. Fate frowned when she saw Teskelon's picture; she remembered Nanoha and Hayate's story of an evil looking clown who broke Raising Heart in two._

* * *

_"Hey Signum, did you notice Harlaown-san's expression? It was like as if she's angry or something..."_

* * *

_"Yeah. Eventually, the secondary power was the ultimate solution that my father was planning during that time." Al panted weakly as he wiped the blood away from his eyes. "Everything's explained here, in my father's secret folder." Al explained. "If we can get the Container to be purified by Fate's device, Bardiche, then she'll have the means to defeat Zealot and the Tri-GOD."_

* * *

**Part 13 – A Tragic Victory**

Swordheart roared as he struck another TSAB mage dead. The TSAB headquarters was in chaos as fire and explosions rocked the whole base. Warlocks swiftly destroyed any resistance as Swordheart brandished his sword proudly.

"Destroy everything on your path, my golems!" he roared. Suddenly, he felt the earth tremble as one of his golems was destroyed by a certain girl holding a mighty hammer. The swordsman picked up his blade and shielded himself as Signum, the former Wolkenritter, clashed her blade Levatein against his sword.

"I won't let you kill another mage!" Signum yelled. Swordheart grinned as he pushed the woman away.

"You again? What makes you think that you can defeat me? I crushed you before and I will crush you again!" Swordheart yelled as he swung his sword towards Signum. Vita appeared before him with blinding speed and the girl smashed her mighty hammer towards the swordsman, hitting him on his left shoulder.

"Grah!" Swordheart yelled as he flew away and landed on a building a few meters away. Vita grinned as she placed Graf Eisen beside her. "I've been waiting to get back at'cha for hurting Zafira! Now come, you bastard! I'll let you taste the power of my newly improved Graf Eisen!" Vita yelled.

"You...little...bitch!" Swordheart roared. Rocks began to float from the ground as he summoned a dozen golems on his side. "You will never defeat me! I am Swordheart, golem ma-" Swordheart stopped when Signum dashed towards him like the wind, slashing and cutting off his golems like pieces of paper. The swordsman stumbled on the ground in shock.

"We are no longer the weaklings whom you have faced before, Swordheart." Signum said. She swung Levatein and pointed her sword at Swordheart's neck. The frightened man stared as Vita and Signum glared down at him.

"Prepare to face your punishment..." Signum raised her sword. She struck Swordheart by the neck with the blunt edge of her sword, thus incapacitating the man at once.

"What a waste. He's such a weakling after all..." Vita scoffed. Suddenly, the two girls heard Swordheart laughing softly as he slowly got up again. Signum's eyes widened as Swordheart's eyes turned red in fury.

"You girls just made a very big mistake!" the man laughed as he picked up his sword. "Now you'll have a taste of my true power!"

* * *

**TSAB Admiral's Office**

"Protect the Admiral!" Grandeur yelled as she kept on firing her weapon together with Admiral Chrono Harlaown. However, the EDEX and TSAB guards were slowly overwhelmed by the Warlocks. Lindy held Chrono in fear while the Admiral continued using his weapon against the enemy.

"Damnit! We're really helpless here!" Chrono yelled. Suddenly, the main door exploded as the Warlocks vanished into thin air. A few seconds later, Subaru, Erio, Caro and Teana rushed inside, along with Hayate. "Riot Force Six! Defend this area! Protect the Admiral at all costs!" Hayate yelled.

"Yes maam!" Subaru shouted as she and Teana fought the Warlocks as a team. Erio and Caro easily defeated the scores of Warlocks that tried to get inside through the windows. Hayate quickly rushed near Chrono and Lindy.

"Are you all ok?" Hayate asked.

"We're fine, please don't worry about us." Lindy smiled.

"We have to get out of here Admiral Harlaown. I've already requested reinforcements from Charles. They should be here within a few minutes. But for now, we need to escape!" Grandeur said.

"No! I will not abandon my office, not when we still have some fight left!" Chrono exclaimed.

"It's not abandoning, it's merely retreating! You're the Admiral and we don't want to lose our leader. Also, your mother shouldn't be involved with this! Please leave the rest to us!" Hayate replied. Chrono looked at the brunette for quite some time.

"Damnit! Don't you all die, you hear?" Chrono yelled as he quickly got up. Hayate nodded as Grandeur , Chrono and Lindy ran towards the nearest exit. Erio and Caro looked from the window and saw a dozen winged Warlocks flying towards the building.

"Commander! We're taking off!" Erio yelled as Caro summoned Friedrich into its Dragon form. The Dragon Rider jumped and pulled his partner towards him and the pair flew off to battle the flying Warlocks. Subaru and Teana defeated the remaining Warlocks with ease.

"All the enemies have been destroyed Commander!" Teana yelled.

"Is this the best that you can do, Zealot?" Hayate whispered. Suddenly, the door opened. Subaru's eyes widened, her teeth grinding in anger as she saw Jail Scaglietti and Brunhild walk in, along with a few new Warlocks.

"J...Jail Scaglietti?" Teana muttered in shock. "How did you-"

"Well, well...if it isn't my greatest creation?" Jail smiled at Subaru while ignoring Teana. "How are you and the Numbers? I've heard you've adopted Nove. I am not surprised, since she has always been the same as you."

"Don't you dare talk to me!" Subaru yelled in anger.

Hayate glared at Jail. "After nearly destroying TSAB, now you've chosen to cooperate with these scum, Scaglietti? How low can you really go?"

"I just picked the stronger team, Commander Yagami. Please don't vent your frustration at me." Jail sneered. "Besides, I just came here to see how my beautiful Cyborg Type Zero is doing." as he started walking towards Subaru.

"D..Don't come near me!" Subaru yelled. However, she felt as if she was unable to move from the spot. Jail was now a few inches from her when Nove appeared, dashing towards the man.

"Stay away from her!" Nove yelled as she tried to hit Jail with a swift kick. However, Brunhild raised her hand and a gnarled root appeared from the ground, catching Nove's leg.

"Such impatience. You need to learn a lesson..." Brunhild smiled as another gnarled root appeared behind Nover, this time, it was a root with a sharp end. The root impaled Nove through her stomach as the girl yelled in unbearable pain.

"Nove!" Teana yelled. Subaru's eyes widened in horror as she saw what happened to her sister. Suddenly, her head began to ache. The girl held her head in pain as she began to scream in agony.

"Yes! That's it!" Jail screamed in laughter. "The only way to activate the Berserk Virus is through the power of despair! See Subaru? You cannot do anything on your own! You cannot protect the ones you love! Fall into despair!" the man shrieked. Subaru yelled as an enormous amount of power exploded from within her.

"Subaru! Calm down!" Teana yelled as she held Subaru. However, Subaru angrily grabbed Teana's shoulder and kicked her in the gut. Teana gasped in pain as she was thrown to the wall!

"Teana!" Hayate yelled. She looked at the unconscious sniper while she looked at Subaru. The cyborg was indeed out of it, as she only had a look of anger and madness in her eyes. "Well now, it seems your time is about to come to a brutal end, my dear Commander Yagami." Jail chuckled. Brunhild walked towards a desk and pulled out a storage drive from inside.

"We already have what we want." Brunhild said as she walked towards the exit.

"Fine. You can go ahead." Jail said. "I want to see this personally. How my Cyborg Type Zero have personally crushed the mighty Commander Yagami of the TSAB Riot Force Six."

Hayate held Schwertkreuz in anger. "I might not be as powerful as Fate-chan or Nanoha-chan, but I will definitely protect TSAB and Mid-childa with my life!" she yelled defiantly. Subaru crouched and dashed swiftly towards Hayate, ready to pound her with a powerful fist attack when Vincent Lyoneid appeared before Hayate, shielding her with his fist.

"Vincent Lyoneid-san?" Hayate exclaimed. Horus, the eagle, swooped down towards Jail and Brunhild. The two stood back as Horus swiftly picked up the wounded Nove and flew back into the air.

"At your service, Commander Yagami!" Vincent grinned. Brunhild frowned when she saw him. "I suggest that you kill the boy as quickly as you can, Scaglietti. That brute is very powerful." she said.

"Hmm? Who is that guy anyway?" Jail asked. Vincent pushed Subaru away, his Armed Device humming with lightning sparks.

"My name is Vincent Lyoneid, the Cyborg Emperor. So you're the bastard who placed the Berserk Virus on helpless Subaru Nakajima. I'll beat you to a sorry pulp right here, right now!" Vincent roared in anger.

"Is that so?" Jail smirked. "We''ll see if a copy manages to defeat the original! Your father was a thief who relied on my intelligence to defeat the Tri-GOD! Right now, the beast is slowly reviving underneath this very city and you are not even doing anything about it."

"What?" Hayate gasped. Brunhild angrily looked at Jail. "What do you think are you doing, Scaglietti? How dare you betray me!" she yelled.

"Oh shut up!" Jail replied. "I didn't ask to be rescued by filthy dogs like you. And did you think I would just let all of you destroy Mid-childa? Only I get to destroy this place and TSAB along with it!"

Brunhild glared at Jail. "You are lucky that I don't have the time to deal with you, you traitor! But nevertheless, you will soon die along with all of them!" Brunhild screamed as she disappeared in a black smoke.

"Good riddance!" Jail scoffed "And as for you!" as he pointed at Vincent. "You are the result of my failures while I was still a dog of the TSAB. You are nothing but a mere copy! Go and destroy him, my beloved Cyborg Type Zero!"

Subaru crouched as Mach Breaker began to glow. "Vincent-kun! Subaru's going to activate her most powerful attack! We have to do something to stop her!" Hayate yelled. Vincent calmly stood in front of her.

"Commander Yagami, would you mind flying away from here? What I'm going to do...isn't going to be pretty." Vincent smiled. Hayate flashed a look of worry at the young man. "What...what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna save Subaru. Please, go and take Teana. I'll be ok." Vincent grinned. Hayate nodded as she grabbed Teana and flew away from the place. Vincent sighed as he faced Subaru.

"Zero Edge." he whispered. "_Destrabar_ (Unlock)"

"_Como lo desee, Senor_ (As you wish sir)" the Armed Device replied. Suddenly, the skies became dark as lightning began flashing from the skies. Jail was shocked as powerful thunderbolts flashed and hit Zero Edge while Vincent crouched into his fighting form.

* * *

Meanwhile. Hayate was having a hard time flying because she was carrying Teana. "Ohh...Teana-chan's so heavy!" she complained. Horus, the giant eagle, appeared flying below her. "Master's told me to help you out." the eagle said. "I've already placed Nove in an area where the medical staff have assembled." the eagle added.

"Thank you Horus." Hayate said as she softly landed behind the animal and placed Teana gently. Just then, Erio and Caro appeared, riding on Fried's back.

"Ho-chan! You're here!" Caro smiled as she waved her hand at the eagle.

"Of course Mistress Caro. I shall always be glad to lend you a hand!" the eagle replied. The sniper managed to wake up as she sat down.

"What happened?" Teana said. The two girls were surprised when a powerful lightning flashed in the sky. Erio and Caro held tight as Friedrich got surprised by the approaching storm.

"Master..." Horus whispered.

* * *

"What? What's happening?" Jail yelled.

"Looks like no one's told you." Vincent grinned as blood began to flow out from his nostrils. "Father upgraded your useless Cyborg Emperor template. Right now, I am no longer an emperor, but a god!" he roared as lightning continued to flash.

"W...Wait! What are you going to do? Are you going to kill Subaru?" Jail yelled.

"No. I am going to save her. It's you whom I am going to kill!" Vincent yelled as he began running towards Subaru. Subaru also started running towards Vincent, ready to hit him with her most powerful attack.

"SUBARU! **_PARTE DE LA SENTENCIA!_** (HAND OF JUDGEMENT)" Vincent yelled as his fist struck Subaru's Mach Calibre. The energy shock passed throughout Subaru's body. However, inside her mainframe, the Berserk Virus was destroyed because of the lightning current flowing inside. The energy simply passed her and was now aimed at Jail Scaglietti.

"WARRGH!" Jail yelled as he got hit by the powerful attack! Subaru dropped on the floor as she regained her consciousness while Jail dropped on the ground, smoke coming out from his body because of the electrocution. Vincent gently carried Subaru and placed her on the ground.

"Phew...you're safe at last..." he grinned. Suddenly, blood spurted out from his mouth as he knelt on the ground. "Damnit...my body...can't handle it...anymore..." he groaned as he fell on the ground, unconscious. When the smoke cleared, Hayate and Teana appeared, riding on Horus.

"Teana? Commander?" Subaru asked as she winced. Teana hurriedly jumped down and went near her.

"Subaru-chan? Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. Subaru nodded. "I feel like I've been electrocuted a hundred times." she grinned. Hayate and Teana sighed in relief. However, the three girls were shocked when Horus suddenly fell down on the ground, the eagle's body glowing.

"Hey! Horus! What's wrong?" Hayate asked the eagle.

"Master..." Horus said weakly. Subaru looked in front of her and saw Vincent down on the ground.

"VINCENT-SAN!" Hayate gasped as she ran towards the fallen man. Teana and Subaru quickly followed. Within a few minutes, Erio and Caro arrived with Friedrich. Caro gasped when she saw the giant eagle lying down on the ground.

"Ho-chan! What's wrong?" Caro yelled as she gently touched the bird.

"Master Vincent...and I...we're dying..." the eagle spoke.

"What?" Erio said. Hayate, Teana and Subaru stared in horror as Vincent laid on the ground, his eyes, nose and ears were bloodied.

"Vincent-san! Oh God! What happened to you?" Hayate yelled in terror. Vincent managed to open one eye. When he saw Subaru, he gave a smile.

"Subaru...you're safe..." he said. Subaru knelt down as she began to apply first aid with the training she got from her stint with disaster prevention. "D...Don't talk! We need to stop the bleeding! Teana! Call a medic right now!"

"G..Got it!" Teana stammered as she quickly took out her communicator.

"What's happening to you Horus?" Erio asked.

"Master Vincent...and I...are connected. If he dies...then I will die as well..." Horus explained weakly. Subaru and Hayate felt a cold chill on their spine as Vincent continued to cough more blood.

"No! No! You're not dying Ho-chan! You promised me that we would go flying in Alzas, remember?" Caro was now crying as she hugged the eagle's beak. Erio simply held his partner to comfort her. Hayate was now in tears as Subaru fumbled to help the dying man.

"Subaru...you need to rest..." Vincent grinned. "Don't waste your time on me."

"SHUT UP! You're going to live! You have to live! I won't be able to forgive myself if you die!" Subaru screamed as tears blurred her vision.

"I need a medic here! Damnit!" Teana yelled at her communicator.

"Caro...Erio...thank you... I've had a really fun time..." Horus said as the eagle finally closed its eyes. Caro's eyes widened as she realized that the creature has passed away. "No! No! NOO!" Caro screamed in pain as Erio hugged her.

"Well...it's time for me...to go too..." Vincent said as he coughed. "It's been really fun as well..."

"No! Please! The medic will be here! You can't just die!" Subaru yelled as she grabbed Vincent's collar. Vincent gave one last chuckle as he closed his eyes. "Janus...big brother Al..." he gasped and he finally passed away.

"No...No! NOOOOO!" Subaru yelled. Hayate covered her mouth with her hands as she stood up and looked the other side, weeping. Teana stared in shock as Subaru began slapping the dead man's face.

"Breathe! Wake up damnit! Please...wake up..." Subaru screamed as she finally succumbed to her grief, crying loudly. Suddenly, the three girls noticed that Jail was still alive.

"Hahaha, what an idiot..." Jail weakly said. "These three brothers...they only had a limited life-span. When they try to use their full potential, their bodies can't take the power. This one...still had a long way to go but he sacrificed himself to save you Subaru-chan..."

Subaru instantly stood up and ran towards Jail. She picked him up, grabbed him by the throat and began to strangle him. "You monster! You have no right to say that! You have no right to say those things!" she yelled.

"Subaru-chan! Stop!" Teana yelled as she pulled Subaru away. Jail dropped on the ground, coughing.

"What I said...is true! I was there when Zecherov planned everything for the Tri-God's demise. He planned everything, how each of the boys was to be imbued with the power of the Three Generators. That guy and the youngest both have it easy, but with the eldest, he is not going to last long..." Jail groaned.

Hayate looked at Jail with dark eyes. "You have done something far worse than anyone could imagine. I won't hesitate to have you killed. But I need to know everything about the Tri-God Project."

Jail shook his head. "You can't stop the Tri-GOD's revival. Now that this Zealot is performing the ritual of the Unholy Gate. What Zecherov did was to contain the only power that would destroy the Tri-GOD. But can you imagine someone carrying that kind of power within themselves for years?"

"You are not making sense!" Hayate yelled. Jail simply started laughing while Teana and Subaru angrily looked at the crazed doctor. "Never mind." Hayate hissed. "Teana, call the medical team. Arrange for...Vincent's body to be transported." she sighed.

"Yes maam." Teana nodded. Hayate looked at Erio while the boy continued to comfort Caro over the loss of her dearest friend. "Why did this have to happen?" she angrily thought as she sat on the ground, crying. Subaru sobbed as she looked at Vincent. She looked at his Armed Device, Zero Edge. The device was still blinking as she touched it.

* * *

**TSAB Laboratory**

Teskelon was crawling on the ground as his body was impaled by shining chains. Janus Lyoneid looked at him while Baast and Sekhmet, his familiar cats, were beside him.

"You're too strong for me!" Teskelon yelled as the clown suddenly rolled to and fro. "You didn't have to hurt poor old Teskelon, do you?"

"Tell me what I want to know!" Janus growled. "What do you know about my brother's condition? Tell me now!" he yelled as he struck Teskelon again with his chain. The clown roared in pain again as it stood up hurriedly.

"Fine! Your father, Prof. Zecherov, has a little secret to share about your precious older brother." Teskelon said. He opened his mouth and a small object appeared from it.

"This will show you what exactly happened the night before your father's supposed death!" Teskelon sneered as he threw the object on the ground, releasing black smoke around the laboratory. Janus looked around and then saw his father, Prof. Zecherov, working on a computer. He recognized two small boys encased in two small glass capsules.

"That's big brother Vincent...and me..." he muttered as he looked inside the capsules. "Is this an illusion?"

Suddenly, another boy appeared before Zecherov. "Father, I'm ready." the young man said.

gave a sigh. "Alexander, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Just like what the officials said Father, there is no other way." young Alexander said. "This is for the good of all mankind. I'm sure of it."

"But the Contained Power...your emotions...your happy memories...all of it gone..." Prof. Zecherov bitterly grumbled. "You will live the rest of your life as an empty shell. You will be bound to find Project Fate in order to pass the Contained Power. You will live a life full of suffering, my son. And when you do find Project Fate, only your death will release the Contained Power."

Janus' eyes widened. "W...What? Big brother Al...will die?" he muttered. The young boy just shook his head. "It doesn't matter Father. I am the Destroyer, the most dangerous of the Three Generators. If I am to die in order to save the world, so be it." Al smiled.

Janus trembled as he backed away from the scene. He was brought back to reality by Teskelon's power. "So I guess you finally learned the whole deal, huh? Kekekekeke!" Teskelon chuckled. Sekhmet and Baast looked at their master with worry.

"Master, what's wrong?" Sekhmet asked.

"Why brother...why did you agree to something like this?" Janus mutttered. Teskelon noticed that he was no longer binded with the chains, so he used this opportunity to regain his strength! The clown instantly caught Baast and Sekhmet with a pair of Warlock tentacles!

"What?" Janus was shocked as Baast and Sekhmet were captured. "So now you know, Janus Lyoneid. How about I give you a deal? We all know that whose fault it is why your precious brother is suffering right now. It's all Project Fate's fault!" Teskelon shrieked.

"Project...Fate?" Janus muttered.

"Don't listen to him Master! Arrgh!" Baast screamed as the tentacles started suffocating her. Sekhmet angrily struggled but was unable to free himself.

"Yes! Fate Harlaown should be blamed for everything that your brother is going through right now! Tell you what, when I take over the whole world, I will give you Mid-Childa for your very own!" Teskelon laughed.

"Yes...you're right..." Janus suddenly muttered. Baast and Sekhmet looked at their master in horror. "Project Fate is to be blamed for everything. And the only way to free my brother is to kill her."

"YES! That's right!" Teskelon shrieked happily. "I am glad that you can finally see my plans, Janus Lyoneid! With you by my side, we can eliminate Zealot and that bitch Brunhild."

"Master! How could you?" Sekhmet yelled. Janus ignored his two familiars as he walked towards the laughing clown. "I do have one question, Teskelon." Janus asked when suddenly, a chain of light wrapped around the clown's twin heads. Teskelon shrieked in terror as Janus pulled the chains,decapitating the creature in seconds!

"Who says that I'll join you?" Janus smiled as he swung his chains furiously towards the tentacles that binded Sekhmet and Baast. The two warrior cats jumped and looked at their master in surprise.

"Stupid clown. You think I'll fall easily for your tricks?" Janus muttered. "While it's true that Fate is to be blamed, I know my brother. She is my brother's happiness...and I want nothing more than to see my brother be happy for once in his life!"

"Master..." Baast smiled. Janus smirked as he looked at his familiars. However, the young man stopped as something hard hit his chest. Baast and Sekhmet looked in horror as a gnarled root have stabbed him from behind.

Janus felt his whole body weaken as he gasped in pain. Blood dropped from his mouth as he looked at his familiars, who were now weakening and dying as well.

"You should always look behind you, Janus Lyoneid..." Brunhild smiled as she walked in front of him. Janus knelt as he felt his heart beat decreasing rapidly. "Such a shame. You actually defeated Teskelon but you were ultimately defeated by me. Your ignorance will be remembered as you die." the woman laughed.

"Not...quite..." Janus said as opened his palm. A white chain appeared from his hand as he accurately destroyed the hard drive that Brunhild got from the office.

"NO! The hard drive!" Brunhild yelled as she crept on the floor trying to gather the pieces.

"Now you won't...be able to...get the information you needed...Brunhild!" Janus smiled. "I..." he gasped as he felt his final hours were near. "I'm..sorry...Shari..." he weakly said as he breathed his last and bowed his head while Brunhild screamed in anger as she disappeared.

* * *

**Outside Mid-Childa, TSAB temporary headquarters**

Shari gasped as she looked at the direction of the headquarters. "Janus-kun..." she muttered. The mages suddenly yelled as Hayate, Subaru and Teana walked forward with Erio and Caro behind them. Shamal met her mistress in a hurry, along with Lindy, Grandeur and Admiral Harlaown.

"Mistress, what's wrong?" Shamal asked. Shari couldn't hear as Hayate said something to all of them. Grandeur suddenly backed away, trembling and crying. "No! NO! It's not true!" she yelled. Lindy immediately hugged the woman as Erio, Caro, Subaru and Teana hung their heads sadly.

"Did you hear? One of the EDEX soldiers, Vincent Lyoneid, died!" a mage yelled. Shari was shocked as she quickly walked towards her friends.

"What happened?" Shari asked. Subaru and Teana didn't reply as they sat down, feeling very tired. Suddenly, a group of EDEX soldiers arrived while carrying a stretcher. Shari's heart thumped when she noticed that a body was on the stretcher and was covered with a white cloth. Hayate later arrived to greet the soldiers.

"Maam...I regret to inform you..." an EDEX soldier paused as he took off the cloth. Shari's eyes widened in horror as Janus Lyoneid laid on the stretcher, lifeless and cold. "We found him stabbed by an unknown sharp object. We are terribly sorry. He was already dead when we arrived..." the soldier continued.

Hayate shook in grief as she turned away and ran. Shari began to cry as she embraced Janus' corpse.

* * *

**Meanwhile, inside the TSAB Infirmary...**

Mistral grimaced as she defended herself from Fate's Sprite Zanber. Nanoha instantly appeared behind her. "Eat this!" the brunette yelled as she hit Mistral's back with a Maneuver SSA. Mistral screamed as she was thrown into the wall as Fate held Bardiche with orbs of yellow energy floating beside her.

"Photon Lancer Multishot! Fire!" Fate yelled as the yellow orbs blasted towards Mistral. The blast made a hole on the wall while Nanoha instantly backed away because of the powerful blasts.

"Wah, Fate-chan! That was a bit too rough!" Nanoha chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away..." Fate replied apologetically. Nanoha sighed as she remembered what happened earlier...

**FLASHBACK**

_"Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked when Fate appeared in front of the Infirmary._

_"Hi Nanoha-chan. Is Shamal-chan inside?" Fate asked._

_"Yes, I'm here." Shamal answered. "What brings you here Fate-chan? I'm surprised to see you here on such a beautiful day." Fate was wearing an uneasy face as she walked inside._

_"Are you busy, Shamal-chan? I'd like to have a check-up with you, if it's alright..." Fate asked._

_"Oh? What's wrong Fate-chan? Are you unwell?" Shamal asked._

_"Um, it's kind of hard to explain..." Fate sighed as she fidgeted. Nanoha and Shamal looked at each other. Then, the brunette Ace of Aces smiled._

_"Actually, I overheard Vita-chan and Signum-chan talking about you, Fate-chan." Nanoha smiled. "It seems that something peculiar happened while you were talking with Al-san this morning."_

_Fate blushed. "W..What? What did they say?" she stuttered._

_Shamal giggled. "Signum was quite worried that you were angry at her because of her secret training with Al-kun." the doctor said. When Fate heard about the 'secret training' part, she pouted._

_"W...Why would I..get angry about that?" Fate stammered. Nanoha and Shamal were surprised to see her reaction. "Well, okay. If you are not angry or upset, then why are you pouting right now?" Nanoha smirked._

_Fate's eyes widened. "Eh? I...I was not pouting!" she exclaimed with a blush._

_"You were definitely pouting Fate-chan." Shamal giggled. "Admit it, you were jealous of the fact that Al-kun was helping Signum-chan train, weren't you?"_

_Fate trembled nervously as she looked down at her hand. "W...Well..." the blonde gulped. "Maybe."_

_Nanoha and Shamal nodded. "That's as good as a yes!" Nanoha exclaimed._

_"Don't be so loud Nanoha-chan!" Fate muttered. Shamal took her stethoscope and placed it on her ears. "Well, since you wanted a check-up, go ahead and tell me what's bothering you Fate-chan..." the doctor said._

_"W..Well...there are times when I'd find my heart beating really fast. And also, I would notice that my face would turn really red. I can even hear my heart beating really fast right now. I don't exactly know what's wrong with me..." Fate explained._

_Nanoha looked at her friend with a weird expression. "Fate-chan, does this happen all the time? Or it only happens when a particular person is around?" the brunette asked._

_Fate blinked. "And who might that person be?" she asked innocently._

_"Oh, I don't know. A black haired, one-eyed handsome guy who calls himself 'Project Fate's protector'?" Shamal grinned. Fate began to think when she realized whom they were talking about. A large blush appeared on her face._

_"What? H..How did you know?" she stammered._

_"I knew it!" Nanoha laughed. "You like him, don't you? You're in love with Al-kun!"_

_"W...What? No! I am not in love with anyone!" Fate exclaimed with a blush. Shamal giggled as she sat down and gently held Fate's hand._

_"What you're feeling right now Fate-chan is only normal. It would seem that you have strong feelings towards Al-kun, but we don't know yet if its love or something else." the doctor said._

_Fate looked at Shamal. "So...what am I supposed to do Shamal-chan?" she asked._

_"I can't give you the answer to that." Shamal smiled. "I've never had strong feelings towards a guy before. But maybe Nanoha-chan can."_

_"Me?" Nanoha laughed. "Nyahahaha, I actually am not too good with that stuff. But what I do know is that Yuuno-kun loves me and I love him too. And love is when you feel happy when he is happy and you feel hurt when he is hurt. That's what my Mama told me when I asked her about love."_

_Fate nodded. "I see. I think I understand."_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"This is Teana Lanster, come in Captain Takamachi!" Nanoha's communicator rang. Fate walked towards Nanoha as the brunette answered the communicator.

"This is Nanoha Takamachi, speaking. Any updates Teana-chan?" Nanoha asked.

"We have...bad news." Teana said. "During the fight inside the Admiral's Office, Vincent Lyoneid was killed in battle against Jail Scaglietti. And also, Janus Lyoneid was found dead inside the laboratory. "

"What?" Nanoha screamed. Fate's eyes widened in horror when she heard what happened to Vincent and Janus.

"N..No! How can that be? How did Jail Scaglietti escape Gruen? Why are Vincent-kun and Janus-kun dead?" Nanoha exclaimed.

"Apparently, Jail had some deal with the enemy. But we caught him again. Everyone here's not taking it really well." Teana sadly reported.

"This is terrible..." Nanoha bit her lip. Fate suddenly felt her heart beating rapidly. She then thought the possibility of Al dying in battle just like his brothers. She instantly shook her head.

"No. Al-kun is strong! He won't die so easily!" Fate thought. Suddenly, the ground began to shake as Mistral re-appeared from the ground, her body filled with so many wounds.

"You TSAB witches...will pay! You will pay with your lives!" Mistral yelled as she began to transform into a horrifying beast. Nanoha and Fate got ready as Raising Heart changed into its Exelion Form. Fate changed into her Sonic Form as well.

"Now you will feel my true power! Prepare yourselves!" Mistral roared.

* * *

**TSAB Compound Area**

Signum and Vita panted as they sat on the ground. Their Knight Armours were now tattered and destroyed as Swordheart looked at them with a sneer.

"You two are pathetic!" Swordheart yelled. "You will never defeat me!"

Signum smiled. "Go ahead. Kill us. Do your worst..." she said. Swordheart raised his giant blade, ready to kill the two former Wolkenritter when Anubis and Zafira appeared behind the monster swordsman! Anubis swept the swordsman off his feet with a powerful kick while Zafira pulled Swordheart's arm and slammed him on the ground!

"Are ya alright?" Anubis asked. Vita and Signum both nodded. "Our bodies are really sore..." Vita replied, laughing. Einhart Stratos and Vivio Takamachi suddenly appeared in their Adult Forms.

"Vita-chan! Signum-san! We came to help!" Vivio said.

"Vivio and Einhart, take them back to the TSAB headquarters for treatment." Zafira said as Swordheart managed to stand up. "We'll take care of this monster."

"Understood." Einhart said as she picked up Signum while Vivio helped Vita. The two immediately fled the scene while Anubis and Zafira faced off against Swordheart.

"You dumb dogs! You think you two can defeat me?" Swordheart yelled.

"Well now, why don't we show you how we dogs fight!" Anubis growled as his fangs grew bigger and his nails grew sharper. Zafira also prepared himself as the two charged towards Swordheart.

* * *

**TSAB Infirmary**

Nanoha yelped in pain as she was thrown on the wall as Fate fired another round of Photon Lancer Multishot. However, the giant demoness just swatted Fate down on the ground like a fly!

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha yelled. Mistral instantly caught the brunette with her hands. "Now who's the weak one, Nanoha Takamachi?" Mistral shrieked as she began to crush the mage. Fate stood up and flew once more as she cut off Mistral's hand with a Sprite Zanber.

"Arrghh!" Mistral yelled as Fate caught Nanoha. The brunette was unconscious as Fate weakly landed on the ground. "I don't have much power left..." Fate thought. The demoness roared as she saw Fate down on the ground.

"Now you will die, Project Fate!" Mistral yelled as a black orb of energy appeared from the demoness' mouth. Fate cast a Round Shield as she tried to protect herself but the blast was too much for her. She flew away and landed roughly on the ground. She transformed back into her original state while Bardiche laid on the ground.

"No..." Fate weakly stammered. Mistral walked towards her as she transformed her massive left hand into a blade. "Now I shall have fun killing you slowly!" she sneered as she raised her arm.

"Al-kun...where are you?" Fate thought. Her mind raced as she felt scared as to what was going to happen to her and her precious family and friends. She remembered Al's promise to her...that he would always be there to protect her. Out of fear, she gasped as the blade fell down to impale her.

"AL-KUN!" Fate yelled. She closed her eyes as she expected to be stabbed to death by Mistral. Suddenly, she felt something small and warm drop on her face. When she opened her eyes, she was stunned to see Al blocking Mistral's blade arm with his body. The blade have passed within his chest as drops of blood stained her uniform.

"Al...kun?" Fate stammered.

"I'm here Fate...I'm here for you always..." Al said, blood dropping from his mouth.

Mistral took off her blade arms as Al grimaced in pain."Well, well...if it isn't the proud Demon Blade." the demoness grinned. "You sacrficed yourself to protect her once again? How noble and foolish you are!" as she tried to attack again. However, Anubis and Zafira intervened!

"Nice timing Anubis..." Al said.

"Sorry Master, that Swordheart was really tough!" Anubis yelled as he caught Mistral's giant blade arms. Zafira hit Mistral's eye with a powerful blow as the demoness yelled in pain, holding her eye.

"Get Nanoha Takamachi my friend! I shall take care of the demoness!" Anubis yelled. Zafira swiftly picked up Nanoha and jumped towards Fate's side. Fate looked at Al; she was horrified to see his right eye bleeding.

"Al-kun? Why...why are you bleeding? What happened?" Fate asked.

"This is what is destined to happen Fate." Al smiled. "But I'll never regret what I am going to do today. Fate, I'll leave you with the weapon that can finally end the Tri-God's reign of terror. Only you can stop Zealot's twisted plans!" the man gently smiled.

"I...I don't understand what you mean!" Fate stammered. "Why does this feel so wrong?"

Al panted as he looked at Zafira and Anubis fighting Mistral. He picked up Bardiche and then, he slowly took off his eye-patch. Fate stared as Al revealed his left eye; instead of a normal eye, it was a red orb, shining and glowing mysteriously as blood continued to flow outside.

"Bardiche...hear the voice of your origins..." Al muttered. Bardiche began to float as Al's orb eye flashed bright. Red glowing energy began to materialize as Fate's Device began to glow bright.

"Do you hear me, Zealot?" Al yelled. "This will mark the beginning of your end! Raahhhh!" he yelled as a wave of energy flowed from Al's right eye towards Bardiche.

* * *

**TSAB Sewers**

Zealot opened his eyes as he realized what was happening above him.

"NO! STOP HIM!" he roared!

* * *

**Back in the TSAB Headquarters...**

"No! I won't let you finish your mission!" Mistral yelled as she struck Anubis. She began firing a volley of sharp stakes towards Al. Fate watched in horror as the stakes hit Al's back, stabbing the young man. Al did not weaken as he continued, despite four sharp stakes hitting his back and his legs!

"NO! AL-KUN! PLEASE STOP!" Fate yelled as she tried to stand up but Zafira held her close to him.

"Zafira! Let me go! He's going to die!" Fate screamed but Zafira didn't budge. Fate continued to watch in horror as Al yelled in so much pain. Mistral screamed as a blinding light wrapped the entire TSAB base and eventually, towards all of Mid-childa! The Warlocks who were present were all destroyed because of the powerful blast.

"What the?" Admiral Chrono Harlaown looked as a pillar of golden light appeared in front of them. Hayate and the rest of TSAB also saw the light. The pillar lasted for a few minutes and it finally began to disappear, leaving the TSAB headquarters in ruin.

Fate slowly opened her eyes. Everything went quiet as she slowly stood back up. She then remembered what happened as she looked around. Nanoha was right beside her while Zafira was nowhere to be found. She slowly stood up and knelt beside Nanoha,

"Nanoha-chan? Are you alright?" she asked. Nanoha slowly blinked as she woke up.

"What happened Fate-chan? I remembered Mistral hitting me but then, I felt a warm sensation." Nanoha explained. Fate suddenly remembered the events concerning Al. She quickly stood up and began to search around the place.

"Fate-chan? What's wrong?" Nanoha asked. Fate walked to and fro until she found Zafira's tail. She immediately walked towards the familiar when she saw Al sitting on the wall of the infirmary. Fate's heart broke into pieces when she saw that his right eye was missing. The stakes that stabbed his body were still intact and the young man was coughing up blood.

"I managed to take out most of the stakes, but I'm afraid the damage is too great..." Zafira said.

"No! No!" Fate yelled as she knelt towards Al. "Al-kun! Please, wake up! Wake up!"

Al slowly opened his remaining eye. "F...Fate..." he smiled. He slowly opened his palm as he presented Bardiche. Fate noticed that Bardiche's design has changed. A small red orb was now embedded in the middle of the device. Fate

"I...I finally...accomplished..." Al coughed. "...my mission..."

Fate was crying as her hands trembled, not knowing what to do. "Al-kun...why? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT?" she screamed. Nanoha later appeared, being held by Yuuno, along with Hayate and the rest of the Riot Force Six. Nanoha and Hayate gasped in horror when they saw what happened to Al.

"Al-kun! Oh no!" Nanoha gasped. Fate looked at Nanoha and Yuuno.

"Yuuno-kun! Please heal him!" Fate exclaimed.

"Yes, of course!" Yuuno quickly knelt but Zafira stopped him.

"There's no need." Zafira shook his head. "This was what was meant to happen. And his wounds are too severe. A healing spell wouldn't work on him."

"W...What are you talking about?" Nanoha yelled. "Are you just going to leave him to die?"

"The black wolf, Anubis, told me the truth." Zafira said while looking at Al. "Before his father died, Alexander Lyoneid absorbed the Contained Power within his own body in order to protect it from the Tri-GOD. As he grew up, the Contained power slowly weakened his body and took away all his memories and his emotions. He only had one purpose in life; to give the Contained Power to Fate Harlaown in order to save humanity. That was the burden he carried for most of his life."

Fate, Nanoha and everyone present there were stunned. "H...How could..." Hayate trembled in anger. "Alexander Lyoneid, you idiot! How could you throw your life away? For the good of all humanity? Does your life matter little to you?" the brunette yelled.

Al didn't reply as he looked at Zafira. "How's Anubis?" he asked weakly.

Zafira hung his head. "He's already passed away..." he said.

"No! Not Anubis!" Caro began to sob. "We already lost Ho-chan and the two cats!"

"Captain! Please, hang in there!" Subaru yelled.

"Medic! I need a medic right now!" Nanoha yelled towards the TSAB mages nearby as tears also fell from her eyes. Teana and Caro were sobbing while Erio was trying hard not to cry as well.

"Look at all of you..." Al smiled. "Don't cry Erio...you're a man...men don't cry..."

Erio clenched his fist. "But...Captain..." he muttered.

"You...are such an idiot!" Fate yelled in anger. "How could you do this? I thought...I thought you were going to protect me? If you die, w...w..what will happen to Cecily and the orphanage?" she babbled incoherently as tears flowed from her eyes.

Al slowly raised his left arm as he touched Fate's cheek.

"This is the best that...I can do...for you..." Al smiled. "And...I have no regrets. All the pain, the sadness, the isolation...was indeed worth it..."

"Why? Why did you have to throw your life away? Why are you doing all this?" Fate sobbed.

"Because... I have always loved you Fate Testarossa Harlaown..." he gasped as his left arm fell down, his head hung up. Bardiche slowly fell down from his limp hand.

"No..." Fate stammered. "No! No! Don't you dare! Don't you dare die, Alexander Lyoneid!" she yelled as she began to shake Al's corpse uncontrollably. Hayate instantly pulled the blonde close to her as Fate trembled in absolute grief while the rest of the Riot Force Six wept. Nanoha hugged Yunno tight as she also cried uncontrollably.

"Fate-chan...please...calm down..." Hayate said again and again, fresh tears streaming down from her face as Fate sobbed loudly on her shoulders. Grandeur later arrived too late as she saw what had happened, along with the EDEX reinforcements.

* * *

**10 hours later... TSAB temporary office**

"We may have won, but at a terrible price..." a middle aged man spoke while standing inside the office as Admiral Chrono Harlaown, Admiral Letty Lowran, and Lindy Harlaown listened. Grandeur was there and her eyes were really swollen.

"I am...General Charles Resolute of the EDEX Main Command. I am very happy that the TSAB have chose to help us in our campaign to get rid of Zealot and the Tri-GOD." Charles spoke. "With this, we can finally give justice to the deaths of the Lyoneid brothers."

"Alexander, Janus and Vincent Lyoneid have given their lives to defend Mid-childa. This is the right thing to do." Admiral Chrono said. Charles shook his head. "Why did this have to happen?" he grunted.

Lindy held Grandeur's hand. "You shouldn't be here Grandeur-san..." the woman softly said.

Grandeur shook her head. "I can't live my whole life grieving for them. Those boys grew up knowing full well that they were going to die fulfilling their father's wish. But...but..." she stammered as tears began to flow from her eyes again. Lindy gave her a comforting hug.

Outside the office, Subaru, Teana, Nove and Shari were sitting down inside the infirmary. "Damn this! Why did they have to die?" Nove yelled in anger. "And that stupid Scaglietti is still alive?"

"Calm down Nove." Teana said. "Don't let anger get to you."

Shari sniffed. "Janus-kun..." she began to sob once again. Teana and Subaru winced as they looked at Shari sob. Nanoha and Hayate entered the infirmary with tired eyes.

"Nanoha-san? How is Fate-san?" Subaru asked.

Nanoha sighed. "She's fine...but Al-kun's death...and his final message...it's going to leave a scar within her heart." the brunette said with worry.

"Until the end..." Hayate shook her head. "Alexander Lyoneid did it for Fate-chan's sake. I had Bardiche studied by EDEX and it's confirmed; it is the weapon that Professor Zecherov have designed in the past to destroy the Tri-GOD."

"So...what are we going to do with the bodies?" Nove asked.

"We were supposed to hold a small ceremony, but Grandeur was worried about Fate's well being. So she decided to send the cadavers back to Earth for a proper burial." Nanoha replied.

"Guys, I know things are going to be tough, but we still have a lot of things to do." Hayate said. "While as difficult as it seems, let's all try to move on and focus on what's important."

"I understand. But Fate-chan..." Nanoha said as she looked at Fate's room.

"Let's give her all the time she needs..." Hayate replied. Erio and Caro arrived together with Einhart and Vivio. "Nanoha-mama...is it true?" Vivio suddenly asked with tears in her eyes. "Is Al-san dead?"

Nanoha sighed as she knelt down and gave her daughter a comforting hug. "Yes, Vivio-chan. Al-kun's passed away. He's in Heaven now."

"But...But what about Fate-mama? She's crying inside her room all the time. It hurts to see Fate-mama crying!" Vivio squeaked. Nanoha didn't reply as she continued to hug her daughter. Meanwhile, Erio and Caro looked at each other and they quietly walked towards Fate's room.

"Fate-san?" Erio slowly knocked on the door. The two didn't hear anything from inside. Caro looked at Erio and sighed.

"Fate-san... I know it's hard to accept the reality. Al-san's death hurt a lot. Not just to you, but to all of us. He was a really great person and to make it worse, he...sacrificed his own emotions, his own memories, his life for your safety. But Al-san's sacrifice would be all for nothing if you just lock yourself in your room!" Caro exclaimed as she wiped away a tear from her eye..

Erio closely listened as he felt movement from inside the room. "Do you think Al-san would be happy to see you right now?" he asked. Just then, the room opened, revealing a swollen-eyed Fate. The blonde immediately knelt and hugged her two adopted children tight.

"I know! I know that Al-kun wouldn't want to see me like this. But it hurts so much!" Fate sobbed. Erio and Caro both sighed as they hugged their foster parent to comfort her.

* * *

**Meanwhile, inside the TSAB temporary headquarter's morgue...**

Three body bags were placed on the ground. A hooded figure went inside and opened the body bags. "Looks like it's them alright." a voice was heard as the figure took out a small device. With a push of the button, the device replicated the body bags on the other side of the room.

"Alright you three..." as Linith took off the hood from her head. "Sorry about this, but your dad still has a job for the three of you. And my new Master would like to speak with you guys as well."

**(To Be Continued)**

**Author's Notes: Whew, I had a hard time describing the death scenes. Thank you for the nice reviews, but I am going to have to turn off the anonymous reviews for now. I don't want to sound like a sourpuss, but leaving harsh reviews while being anonymous sure is a cowardly way of criticizing my story. If there's anyone who thinks my writing or my OCs should improve, then have the balls to leave your name. I would really appreciate that. Besides, you're free to not read my fanfic; as I have stated in the start of Chapter 1, if you don't like the pairing, the door is open for you to leave. **

**And uhhh, to the one who commented that "...no one wants to read about a crappy OC"? I'm sure PuppyLove92, DarkKeyo, and the other wonderful people who gave me 16 great comments would agree with you. Thanks!  
**


	15. Part 14 Unexpected Allies

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_Hayate glared at Jail. "After nearly destroying TSAB, now you've chosen to cooperate with these scum, Scaglietti? How low can you really go?"_

* * *

_"W...Wait! What are you going to do? Are you going to kill Subaru?" Jail yelled._

_"No. I am going to save her. It's you whom I am going to kill!" Vincent yelled as he began running towards Subaru.  
_

* * *

_"But the Contained Power...your emotions...your happy memories...all of it gone..." Prof. Zecherov bitterly grumbled. "You will live the rest of your life as an empty shell. You will be bound to find Project Fate in order to pass the Contained Power. You will live a life full of suffering, my son. And when you do find Project Fate, only your death will release the Contained Power."_

* * *

_"Did you hear? One of the EDEX soldiers, Vincent Lyoneid, died!" a mage yelled. Shari was shocked as she quickly walked towards her friends._

* * *

_"Why? Why did you have to throw your life away? Why are you doing all this?" Fate sobbed._

_"Because... I have always loved you Fate Testarossa Harlaown..." he gasped as his left arm fell down, his head hung up. Bardiche slowly fell down from his limp hand._

* * *

**Part 14 – Unexpected Allies  
**

**Uminari City, Earth**

Fate stared outside the window of her room, sighing. Two weeks have passed since the death of Al and his brothers. Fate was forced by her brother, Admiral Chrono Harlaown, to take a well-earned rest. As for the rest of the Riot Force Six, Hayate continued her investigation in locating Zealot with the help of the EDEX Main Commander, Charles Resolute. Grandeur returned to Earth in order to give Al and his brothers a proper burial.

Nanoha, Subaru, Erio, Caro and Teana resumed their duties and were trying their best to bring Mid-Childa back to its normal pace. Signum and Vita were completely healed and were completely shocked as well when Nanoha broke the news to them. As for Shari, she confessed her budding relationship with Janus Lyoneid and with a stronger resolution, she continued to work as Riot Force Six's Device Meister.

The blonde Captain took out a small picture from her desk. It was the small picture that Linith gave her, the one that Al used to hold and look at. She was lost in thought as the short yet memorable memories between her and Al flooded into her mind. And every time she thought about those memories, the more her heart would ache because of the sadness and grief.

She still can't accept the fact that Alexander Lyoneid, her dashing, silent protector, was no longer with her.

"Fate-chan?" Lindy tapped unto her door. Fate stood up and opened the door.

"Hello Mother. Is there something you want?" Fate smiled.

Lindy returned her smile. "I was just checking on you. Nanoha-chan and Hayate-chan said that they were going to visit Grandeur-san today. Are you going with them?"

"Yes." Fate nodded. Lindy looked at her daughter as she touched her right cheek.

"Fate...are you alright?" Lindy asked.

"Yes, of course I'm alright Mother. Why do you ask?" Fate blinked her eyes. Lindy just sighed softly.

"Even though you're adopted, I know exactly what you are thinking right now." the green haired woman smiled. Fate looked down. She slowly walked towards her bed and sat down.

"I...I still can't accept his death Mother..." Fate confessed. "Everytime I close my eyes, I remember his dying message. And...and I can't help thinking that it was I who killed him."

"What? No, that's not true! How could you say something like that?" Lindy exclaimed. Fate began crying again as she hung her head.

"He sacrificed his own life and his own happiness just to give me the power to fight the Tri-GOD. He didn't care even if the Contained Power was slowly killing him. He did all those things...because he loved me!" Fate whimpered. "And yet...I...I did all those things to him..."

Lindy smiled as she gave her daughter a comforting hug. "Fate...don't blame yourself. Al knew exactly what he was going through. I heard Nanoha say that he didn't regret a single thing that he did because he truly and honestly loved you."

"Mother, do you have to feel so much pain just to love someone?" Fate asked with teary eyes. "I never wanted him to die just to show me he loved me..."

"Sometimes, love can only be shown through sacrifice." Lindy said. "It's just like how Nanoha-chan rescued you when you were still a young girl. Al-san knew what it would take to protect not just you but the entire human race. That is how much he values you, Fate..."

Fate calmed down as she dried her eyes. "If you want to show Al-kun how much he means to you as well, then you know exactly what to do when you get back to work." Lindy said as she held Bardiche towards her daughter. Fate took her device and looked at it with a soft gaze.

"You're right Mother..." Fate smiled. "Al-kun...would probably get mad at me if I let Zealot and the Tri-GOD get away."

Lindy grinned. "That's the spirit Fate-chan!" she said. The doorbell suddenly rang. "Oh, that must be Nanoha-chan and Hayate-chan!"Lindy said as she went out from the room. Fate closed her hand with Bardiche inside as she pressed her hands unto her chest.

"Al-kun...rest in peace. From now on, I'll protect humanity for you." she thought.

* * *

**"AL-KUN!"**

**"NOOO!"**

**"DON''T DIE ON ME AL-KUN!"**

**"PLEASE DON'T DIE!"**

"Fate!" Alexander Lyoneid gasped as he opened his eyes. A bright flash of light blinded him as he closed his eyes again. He felt terrible pain all over his body as the bright light slowly died down. Al looked down and raised his hands. He slowly tried to stand up and sat uncomfortably. He realized that he was sleeping on a sort of capsule tube as the glass raised above him as he sat up.

"Where...the hell am I?" he thought. He looked around and noticed that he was inside a room filled with strange machineries. He slowly stood up and began walking around the office.

"Hey! What're you doing?" a familiar voice yelled. Al looked behind him and saw his two brothers, Vincent and Janus looking at him. Vincent was wearing a black jacket and blue cargo pants with red trims while Janus was wearing the same black jacket and pants but with blue trims.

"J..Janus? Vincent?" Al stammered. "You guys are..alive?"

"Hell yeah!" Vincent grinned. "I feel better than ever!"

"Brother, don't you think we should explain everything first to big brother Al?" Janus said as he arranged his spectacles. Al looked at the two of them, confused as ever.

"But..we died! I know I died...and you two-" Al was cut off when Linith appeared, holding a tray of food.

"Oh? Al-kun! You're awake!" Linith smiled as she placed the food on a nearby table. She swatted Vincent's hands away as the man tried to eat the food on the tray.

"Linith? Where the hell are we? And why are we not dead?" Al asked.

"Well...my new master resurrected you three, with the help of your Father's latest technology." Linith smiled.

"What?" Al frowned. "Linith, stop playing tricks with me! And where the heck are we?" Al yelled as he walked towards a window. He looked outside and stared in shock as cosmic gases swirled outside the window. Janus and Vincent walked towards him and grinned.

"Welcome to Al-Hazard, Alexander Lyoneid..." a voice said. Al and his brothers looked back at the entrance of the laboratory when they saw a young woman wearing a white laboratory coat. Al's eyes widened when he saw her face!

"Fate?" he stammered. "Is that you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Al-kun, but that's not Fate-chan..." Linith smiled as she walked towards the woman. "This is Alicia Testarossa, Fate's sister."

Al felt his whole world collapse as he stared at Fate's Original. "Alicia Testarossa? But...but you were supposed to be dead!" Al exclaimed. Alicia chuckled as she sat down on a table.

"Yes. I was supposed to be dead. However, your father brought me back to life using the same technology that I used to resurrect you three." Alicia smiled.

"My...father?" Al asked. "He was here? In Al-Hazard?"

"Yes. When the Tri-GOD attacked him, he was suddenly transported here in Al-Hazard by my mother, Precia Testarossa." Alicia explained. "Mother...needed his help to revive me. Prof. Zecherov was able to find a way to bring me back to life, but when I woke up, he was the only one left. Mother have died of a disease she endured for years."

"Oh." Al muttered. He remembered Nanoha's stories of how she and TSAB rescued Fate and how Precia Testarossa fell to her supposed death within the unreachable space along with Alicia's dead body.

"Then...is my father still alive?" Al asked. Alicia sighed as she looked at the floor.

"He's passed away years ago Alexander-san." Alicia revealed. "However, he taught me everything and wrote books and records of all the technologies he created and discovered. Here in Al-Hazard, all the forbidden technologies not yet seen in Mid-Childa can be studied here without problems. When your father told me of his mission and my sister's involvement, I felt that it was the right time for me to repay Fate of her kindness, despite my mother's cruelty."

"I...I see..." Al nodded. "Thank you for bringing us back to life. But as you know, I have already succeeded in my mission. The Contained Power has already been downloaded unto Bardiche. The world is saved from the Tri-God's wrath."

"Hmm, I see." Alicia said. "However, there is more to the Tri-God that meets the eye. If you're feeling well enough, can you three meet me in my office? There is something urgent that I need to discuss with all of you."

"Oh...alright..." Al replied.

"Very well, if you'll excuse me..." Alicia smiled as she walked towards the door. Just then, she stopped as she looked at Al.

"Oh, and Alexander? Don't be so embarrassed when I am around. I am not my sister." she smiled.

Al blushed as she gave Linith a glare. Janus simply sighed as he looked all over the laboratory. "I'm quite amazed that we are actually in Al-Hazard. I'm sure Shari would be happy to know that it really does exist."

Al scratched his head. "All of this is quite weird to me." he muttered. "What's the point of resurrecting us? Our powers...I no longer feel them. When we died, our powers disappeared along with our familiars."

"Well, I wouldn't say that Al-kun." Linith grinned. "Your familiars are very much alive too."

"WHAT?" Al exclaimed.

Linith smiled. "All familiars have a place in the heart of their masters. Now, all three of you get ready. You have to start preparing yourselves in order to get back to Mid-Childa."

"What? What do you mean?" Al asked. "Going back to Mid-Childa?"

"Yeah. Alicia promised that she and her team of scientists are going to help us."Vincent grinned.

"Outside, there's a whole community of scientists and doctors who were wrongly persecuted in the past. They all live here in Al-Hazard where they continued to practice their expertise for the betterment of mankind!"

"Yes. But they do so in secret." Janus continued. "Alicia and Linith explained that the technology in Al-Hazard is so advanced that it could trigger a calamity when used in the wrong hands. They normally don't help outsiders like us, but because our mission concerns the Tri-GOD, they are more than willing to help."

"But, how were they able to get here?" Al asked.

"Your father invented a portal that can transport anyone from outside the unreachable space through here, in Al-Hazard." Linith explained. "Although your father's been dead for years, his brilliance still lives here."

"I see. I think I understand it now." Al nodded. He looked at Linith. "So why are you here Linith? Did you run away from Fate and the others again?"

"I wouldn't do something like that!" Linith pouted. "How mean! It was I who dragged your lifeless bodies from Mid-Childa! You should at least thank me."

Al was surprised about what Linith said. "So, why do it? You knew our mission was to help Fate and TSAB deal with the Tri-GOD." the boy asked.

"Alicia wanted to help. When she learned of what happened, she told me to bring you guys back here so she can revive you with the same technology your father used to resurrect her. Along with that, we have a couple of surprises in store for you Al-kun." Linith smiled.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe the things Alicia did for us brother!" Vincent grinned. Al just smiled as he sat down on a chair. "I just can't believe that I'm alive...after all that..." the one-eyed man said.

"You should be alive. You don't know how much Fate-chan is suffering because of your death." Linith retorted. Al's eyes widened as he looked at the cat familiar.

"What do you mean?" Al asked.

"What the hell? You don't remember the last words you told her?" Vincent groaned. Al frowned as he began thinking when he remembered the three last words that he said to the blonde Captain. A blush crept unto his face while Janus and Vincent started laughing.

"H..Hey! Shut the hell up!" Al groaned.

"Too bad big brother. You had to die before you can finally confess to Fate..." Janus shook his head.

"Well...I was dying, so at that time, it was now or never." Al scratched his head. "How are things in Mid-Childa Linith? I guess you're the only one who gets to go there without problems right now."

"Your friend Charles Resolute is helping TSAB deal with the Warlocks." Linith said. "After that great battle, things have gone silent with Zealot. Well, I guess since you defeated most of his henchmen."

"There's one more. Brunhild." Janus mentioned the name of his murderer.

"Right. That witch. I saw her collaborating with Scaglietti at that time." Vincent gritted his teeth. Al crossed his arms as he began to think quietly. He then turned around and looked at his brothers.

"Vincent. Janus. It seems our work is not yet over. Since we've been given a second chance, we'll take any help we can get from Alicia and the scientists living here." Al said.

"I agree." Janus nodded. "We can't leave them on their own."

"Right!" Vincent said as he clenched his fist. "We still have Zealot's butt to kick!"

* * *

**TSAB Temporary Office, Mid-Childa**

Hayate Yagami sat in her chair as she threw away a folder unto her table. "This is ridiculous. We've finally known that Zealot was hiding underneath the sewers but now, he's completely disappeared!" the brunette complained. In front of her was Nanoha Takamachi, Signum and Vita.

"I personally checked the area and there seems to be no trace of any Warlock activity at all." Signum replied. "It's as if they have completely disappeared."

Reinforce suddenly appeared in front of Hayate through a communications hologram. "Mistress, the tests regarding Bardiche Assault Nero have arrived. Shari's already done with all the tests. Fate-chan can finally use her Device again."

"Thanks Rein." Hayate smiled. Reinforce disappeared while Nanoha gave out a sigh. "Bardiche Assault Nero. My Raising Heart got an upgrade as well. Everyones Devices have been upgraded since Janus-kun left a secret manual to Shari-chan." she said.

"Creepy." Vita said. "It's as if he knew he was going to die that he already left Shari-san with instructions on how to upgrade our Devices."

"I've always been impressed with Janus Lyoneid." Hayate smiled. "He's the kind of person who is always ready and always has all the answers to the questions."

The office door suddenly opened as Fate walked in, to Hayate and Nanoha's surprise. "Fate-chan! Why are you here?" Nanoha asked.

"Pardon me Hayate-chan, but I'd like to go back to work now." Fate gave a salute to her superior.

Hayate shook her head. "Fate-chan, you still have a week to go before your return to office. Please, go and spend some time to-"

"I can't. And I won't." Fate replied. "I have already wasted too much time mourning. Al-kun and his brothers deserve justice. And I won't stand by and wait for the Tri-God to rampage all over Mid-Childa again. Please don't worry about me. I'm already fine."

Hayate and Nanoha looked at each other. "Alright, fine." Hayate smiled. "In fact, we'd feel more at ease when you're helping with the investigation."

"Thank you Hayate-chan." Fate smiled. She then turned towards Signum. "Can you update me on what you 've checked so far, Signum-san?" she asked the Belkan knight.

Signum smiled. "Of course. And welcome back, Capt. Harlaown."

"Yes. Welcome back Fate-chan!" Nanoha said.

* * *

**City Center, Mid-Childa**

"Alright! That should do it!" Subaru yelled as a crane loaded a steel beam unto a building which is under construction. Teana, Erio and Caro were there as well, together with a number of EDEX and TSAB members. An EDEX official went near Teana and saluted.

"Excuse me maam. Commander Yagami have called for you and your squad. You are to report in the Commander's office immediately." the office said.

"Alright, thank you." Teana replied. "Subaru! C'mon, we need to get back to the headquarters."

"Sure!" Subaru said as she walked towards Teana. The squad started walking towards the office, which was only near the construction site. "Man, the damage sustained by the headquarters was tremendous." Subaru said as she looked at the construction site.

"It's a good thing EDEX is here to help us. Although, I kinda miss Vincent-san and his training regimen." Erio said. Caro went silent when she heard what Erio said.

"Oh, I mean...uhhh..." Erio stammered.

"It's okay Erio-kun. I'm fine." Caro smiled. "I miss Ho-chan and the twin cats. I'm sure Fried misses them as well." as she petted Friedrich.

"Remember how Vincent-san ate too many burgers at once?" Subaru grinned. "I thought he was going to collapse at that time."

Teana giggled. "Well, he was a total glutton, that's for sure!" she laughed. The rest began laughing as well. When they were about to cross the street, they noticed Nove, Einhart and Vivio walking towards the headquarters too.

"Hey! Nove-chan!" Subaru yelled to her sister. Nove looked at them and waved her hand. The group met together when they crossed the street.

"What? Fate-san's back in action?" Teana exclaimed.

"Yep. That's the reason why I'm going to the office." Vivio smiled. "I'm glad that Fate-mama's alright now. When I last visited her on Earth, she was really sad."

"If I were in her situation, I'd be depressed." Subaru frowned.

"Alexander-san sure was one hell of a guy." Nove nodded. "I can't imagine myself doing something like that."

"It's the power of love, I guess..." Erio replied. "When people fall in love, they do all sorts of crazy stuff. That's what Commander Yagami told me."

"Really now? Since when have you been close with Commander Yagami-san?" Caro spoke while she grabbed Erio's sleeve forcefully. Subaru, Teana and Nove started laughing as Erio quickly apologized to an angry Caro.

"Vivio-san, it seems everyone has moved on since that unfortunate day." Einhart said. Vivio looked at Einhart and smiled. "Yeah Einhart-chan! Everyone's okay now. Al-san, Vincent-san, and Janus-san are in Heaven, like Fate-mama and Nanoha-mama said."

"But I wonder..." Einhart said as the girl looked down on the ground. "I feel that something is not right. It's as if they are still alive..." she thought.

"What?" Vivio asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was talking nonsense, Vivio-san!" Einhart stammered.

* * *

**Al-Hazard**

"Welcome to Genesis!" Linith said as she walked together with Al, Janus and Vincent. Al was stunned to see dozens of people working on all sorts of machineries within the complex. "Genesis means beginning, so you could say that this laboratory is the beginning of unlocking Al-Hazard's secret technologies for the betterment of mankind." the cat familiar said.

"Or the end of civilization, as we know it." Alicia suddenly said as she appeared together with an old man wearing a laboratory coat.

"Hey old geezer!" Vincent greeted the old man. "How are you doing?"

"Vincent, you are still rude as always." the old man groaned. "Is this the older brother whom you and Janus have been talking so much about?"

"Yes. Alexander Lyoneid, meet Professor Rick Justandt, one of the greatest cybernetic engineers of Area 89." Alicia introduced Al to the old professor. "It was he who gave you your right eye."

"My right eye?" Al asked as he touched his eye patch. "What do you mean?"

Prof. Justandt smiled. "Why don't you follow me into the hangar, Al? I'd like to have a word with you...in private." the old man said.

"Alright. And where will you two be?" Al asked his brothers.

"I'll be in another laboratory east from here. There's something I needed to work on." Janus said.

"I'll be in the simulation room, just a few offices from here." Vincent grinned.

"Simulation room? Huh.." Al shook his head. "Ok then. I will see you later." he nodded as he walked together with Prof. Justandt. Alicia and Linith waited until the three brothers have completely disappeared. Linith suddenly noticed that Alicia was staring at Al.

"You know, if you're interested in him...all you needed to do was say so..." Linith smirked.

Alicia instantly blushed. "What? No! I..." the woman suddenly stopped as she started brushing her long hair with her fingertips. Linith started giggling.

"Somehow, I really can't differentiate you with Fate-chan. The two of you...seem really alike. And yet, you also have your own personalities..." Linith smiled.

Alicia sighed. "I envy my sister, Linith-san. She has wonderful friends, she's strong, brave and beautiful. And she has a very dedicated man who loves her." the blonde scientist smiled. Linith gave her new master a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"You shouldn't feel that way." Linith smiled. "Because of you, hope has been restored. With the three brothers back in the fight, Mid-Childa and the Earth are saved. Besides, you're the one who brought them back to life. I'm sure Fate-chan would be more envious of you."

"Thank you Linith-san." Alicia replied. "Now, let's get to work. We have a few days left until Al-kun and his brothers should return to Mid-Childa. We need to make sure that they are prepared to fight the Tri-GOD once more!"

* * *

Al walked behind Prof. Justandt while the old man looked at the several paintings hanging on the hallway. "These paintings show the scientists from the different parts of time and space. People who have contributed to the welfare of all living beings in the universe." Prof. Justandt explained. "Your father wanted to have a place where the talented scientists who were never appreciated in their own home planet have a special place here in Genesis."

"Professor, did you know my father?" Al asked. Prof. Justandt breathed deep as he walked inside the laboratory.

"Your father was my hero. I was banished from my planet because my experiments were very dangerous. But Prof. Zecherov helped me improve and perfect my theories." the old man said as Al walked inside. When the young man saw what was in his laboratory, he was taken back by surprise!

"Whoa..." Al whistled. A great deal of machinery was present inside the laboratory but in the middle of the lab was a floating object; a sword that was of a different design.

"This is the GX09 Phalanx Blade. A state-of-the-art super weapon created by yours truly." Prof. Justandt smiled as he pushed a button on his computer. Al looked at the giant screen monitor as the weapon was shown on the screen.

"It can transform into three weapon modes that has different capabilities." the old man said as he pushed a button. "Mode 01 – Assault Mode features the Phalanx Blade in its default form, which is this one. A titanium blade that can cut through any material, whether magical or non-magical." as the monitor showed exactly what the professor said.

"I see." Al said.

"Indeed." Prof. Justandt smirked. He pushed a button on a console and a hologram image of the Phalanx Blade appeared before the professor. The old man held the hologram as if it was real.

"Here's Mode 02 – Obliterator Mode. This mode transforms the Phalanx into a high powered cannon with triple projectile systems that can deflect energy blasts". Prof. Justandt said. He suddenly pulled each end of the cannon, transforming the weapon into two rifles. "Separate the cannon and you have twin beam rifles." he smiled.

"I think Capt. Takamachi might like this." Al thought as he remembered the White Devil of TSAB.

"And finally, my masterpiece." Prof. Justandt grinned as pushed the button. Al's eyes shined as he saw the final mode of the Phalanx Blade. "Mode 03 - Spellbreaker Mode transforms the Phalanx Blade into twin particle buster blades that can destroy any type of magical shields. No matter how strong they are or how powerful the enemy is, the Phalanx Blade Spellbreaker Mode will cut them to pieces."

"Nice weapons , but why show this to me?" Al asked.

"It's simple. I want you to have the Phalanx Blade. Use it to destroy the Tri-GOD, just like what your father would have wanted." the professor said.

"But, you have to know. I no longer have the power to fight against Tri-God and the Warlocks." Al explained. "When I died, the Eradication System also died with me. I no longer have the strength to use such a weapon."

"Oh?" Prof. Justandt smirked. "Then can you please look at the mirror and take off your eyepatch?"

Al looked at the professor with a surprised look. He somehow followed his instructions and looked at the nearby mirror. When he finally took off his eyepatch, he gasped in shock. Images suddenly flooded on the right side of his eye!

**Loading...**

**Internal Device Activated...confirming biological host...**

**Host name...Alexander Lyoneid...**

**Vital Organs...stable.**

**Blood Pressure...stable**

**Energy Capacity...100%**

**Aeon Eye at full functional capacity.**

Al was confused as he looked at the mirror. His right eye was violet in color and it looked just like that of a human being. "What...what's up with my right eye?" he turned to the professor.

"When Lady Alicia brought you here after your vital signs recovered, I already expected your right eye to be busted." Prof. Justandt smiled.

"Your father told me that your right eye socket held the Contained Power for so many years. Therefore, I installed my greatest invention within you. You are now wearing the Aeon Eye, a tiny particle energy generator which is embedded within your vital organs. With this, your body has the energy and power equivalent of three nuclear reactors; with proper control, you can use the Phalanx Blade without any problems at all!" the old man proudly said.

Al looked at the old man in disbelief. He looked at his hands and formed them into a fist. "With that, you now have the power to fight once more. But this time, fight out of your own free will." Professor Justandt smiled. "Your father would have wanted that more than anything else in the world."

"Professor...I don't know how to thank you..." Al bowed before the professor. "I am eternally grateful for your kindness. I swear that I will use these gifts responsibly."

"I know you will. You're the son of Prof. Hestelle Zecherov. I'm sure you'll do me proud." Prof. Justandt replied. "Alright, come here and get your new weapon."

Al nodded as he walked towards the Phalanx Blade. The moment he touched the hilt of the sword, he suddenly felt his right eye glow. The sword glowed as well as it stopped floating. Al moved his arm and looked at the Phalanx Blade.

"Amazing. It's as light as a feather..." Al said as he slowly swung the sword.

"Of course. I was made to serve you...Master..." the sword suddenly talked.

"What the?" Al said as he jerked backwards in shock. "The sword talked?" he yelled while Phalanx Blade simply floated on the spot, amidst Prof. Justandt's laughter.

"Why, Master Al? Don't your recognize your own familiar anymore?" the sword said.

Al blinked as he recognized the voice. "Anubis? Is that you?" he asked.

"Right you are Master! I'm happy that you can still remember my voice!" the sword exclaimed.

Prof. Justandt walked towards the sword. "C'mon, you already know what to do if you want to continue functioning without a generator Anubis..." the professor said.

"Okay Professor! I'll be right back Master!" Anubis, the sword said as he floated away. Al suddenly heard a loud noise as something big appeared in front of him. Al was shocked to see a big black cybernetic wolf walk in front of him!

"This is one of Anubis' body when he is not working as Phalanx Blade's operating system. This body also functions as a motorbike." the professor smiled. Anubis transformed into a black motorbike within seconds.

"Whoa..." Al gasped.

"Phalanx Blade requires a tremendous amount of particle energy to work, so if the sword is left on its own, Anubis will shut down the sword's internal system and the sword will be useless. That is the reason why I installed the Aeon Eye on you Al, so that only you can use the system." the old professor explained. "This is also a security method so no one would be able to use the weapon if it's stolen."

"I felt a bit weird at first, but afterwards, I feel really great." Anubis replied. "It's like I'm inside my original body. But Master, I won't be able to disappear like flames back in the past, so I won't be helpful during recon stuff."

"That's fine Anubis." Al smiled. "Any form you take, you are still my faithful friend."

"Oh, that's good then." Prof. Justandt grinned. "Then you won't mind Anubis having another form?"

"What?" Al asked, surprised. Prof. Justandt turned on the lights on another part of his laboratory. Al saw a cybernetic eagle standing on its two legs, it's chest swelling proudly.

"This is a support generator unit for the Phalanx Blade during air combat. With this, you can ride on it while fighting on air. Also, I've equipped the wings with triple beam turrets for defense and an Advanced Guiding System that will enable you to lock multiple targets for a short period of time." the professor explained.

Al looked at the eagle while Anubis, the cybernetic wolf sat down beside him. "This one reminds me of Horus." Al said. "I wonder if they've been revived as well..."

"Feh, you'd be surprised to know exactly what happened to Horus and the two cats." Anubis said.

"Wait, so does that mean that Janus and Vincent also have the same upgrades as I have?" Al asked.

Prof. Justandt sighed. "No. I'm afraid you are the only one who has this kind of power Alexander." the professor said. "I don't have any materials left to create another Aeon Eye and...they're also incompatible."

"Incompatible?" Al asked.

"Yes. For some reason, your exposure to the Contained Power have made your mental and physical abilities fit for the Aeon Eye." the old man explained. "So when I installed the device on you, I did not have any problems and you should be fine for the rest of your life."

"But I've always fought together with my brothers..." Al said. "I-"

"Nah, don't sweat it!" Vincent suddenly said as he and Janus walked inside the laboratory. "Me and Janus have decided to give ourselves some time to rest. Besides, my body isn't a hundred percent healed yet...not after a thousand bolts of electricity passed within my body that is!"

"But-" Al retorted but Janus shook his head.

"For years, all you've been doing is share brother. This time, it's our turn to help you out. Besides, we're not really going to just watch while you fight. Me and Vincent have our own way of helping you out." Janus explained.

Al just sighed as he grabbed Janus's shoulder with his left hand while he grabbed Vincent's shoulder with his right hand. "I understand. This time, as your older brother, allow me to fight for all three of us."

"Yeah! And we'll do our best to support you!" Vincent grinned. Linith and Alicia suddenly appeared before all of them, with Alicia panting with a shocked expression.

"Alicia? What's wrong?" Prof. Justandt asked.

"The Tri-GOD...it's been located!" Alicia yelled as she ran towards the professor's computers. "No wonder the TSAB or EDEX couldn't locate it underground! That's because-" the blonde scientist yelled as the monitor suddenly opened in front of them. Al, Vincent and Janus looked at the monitor in utter horror.

"What the? What the hell is that black ship?" Vincent yelled as he pointed at a black spacecraft floating in space while the image of planet Earth was on the background.

"It's as I have suspected!" Prof. Justandt shook his head. "With the whole commotion back then, the man known as Zealot must have escaped with a spaceship with the embryo of the Tri-GOD inside. The monster must have devoured the whole machine and has taken its form! Now we see the true form of the Tri-GOD as a cosmic warship!"

* * *

**Mid-Childa, TSAB temporary headquarters...Radar and Communications Base...**

"Sir, I'm getting a strange reading on Sector 71." man with a communicator headset informed an EDEX uniformed officer. The officer walked near him.

"What do you have?" the officer asked. The communications engineer typed a few buttons and the monitor opened. When the EDEX official saw the monitor, his eyes suddenly widened in fear.

"Morrisson, contact Commander Resolute and Commander Yagami at once!" the EDEX official yelled. He suddenly rushed towards his desk and opened his computer. A holographic image of Admiral Leti Lowran appeared before him.

"What is it?" Admiral Leti asked.

"Admiral, you better take a look at this! I think we've finally-" the official stopped when all the monitor screens inside the office. After a few seconds, all the monitors flashed and went back. However, on the screen was a man wearing a black military uniform along with a military hat and cape!

"Greetings, Mid-Childa and the Time and Space Administration Bureau as well as the Earth Defense Against Extraterrestrials!" the man began.

* * *

**TSAB Main Command**

"My name is Zealot Harless, your soon-to-be leader and Dictator of the New Universal Order! I have come to deliver an ultimatum to both TSAB and EDEX. Surrender and I may grant you the mercy and the honor of bowing before the great Tri-God! Fail to heed my warning and you shall taste the wrath of my Warlock Army! As of right now, hundreds of my elite Warlocks are on their way as a first warning!" Zealot laughed as the monitor turned to rows of Warlocks who were flying just outside the warship.

Admiral Chrono Harlaown frowned as he rubbed his temple. "The report confirms it. A black warship is hovering above Mid-Childa and is slowly descending within four to five days time." the admiral said as Commander Hayate Yagami and the Riot Force Six stood before him.

"I can't believe it..." Teana stammered. "That's the Tri-God?"

"According to Commander Resolute, the Tri-God can take many forms, depending on what it decides to ingest." Hayate explained. "While I am not so sure as to how Zealot was able to get out of Mid-Childa undetected or how he got himself a warship, one thing is clear. That warship is mass producing Warlocks at an astonishing rate!"

"So to all of you, especially to the Riot Force Six, I would suggest that you start bowing down to me! I shall give you four days before I finally have the Tri-God destroy your pathetic little world!" Zealot cackled into a laughing fit as the monitor shut down.

"The nerve of this guy..." Vita said. "He's underestimating us, isn't he?"

"Admiral, we've spotted a large force of flying Warlock units approaching Mid-Childa! They came from the skies! They're everywhere!" one of the communicators inside the office exclaimed. Admiral Chrono Harlaown looked at the Riot Force Six.

"Damnit! It seems we've been caught by surprise! How's EDEX doing?" the admiral asked.

"Commander Resolute and Captain La Fleur are now engaging the first wave of Warlocks attacking east of Mid-childa. The rest of our teams have been assigned to defend the civilians as well as treating the injured!" another communicator replied.

"Okay, leave the rest to us!" Nanoha said to Chrono. "We'll show this Zealot whom he's messing with!"

Fate took a deep breathe. "This is it, Al-kun..." she thought. "I'll see to it that you'll be avenged today!" as she held Bardiche Assault Nero in her hands. Signum and Vita looked at each other and nodded.

"Vincent-san! I'll make sure that your sacrifice will not go to waste!" Subaru thought as she held out her hand. A new Armed Device was on her fists as well. "Mach Calibre Zero will send those Warlocks flying!" she exclaimed, earning a chuckle from Teana, Erio and Caro. Nove just shook her head in embarassment.

"Alright! Riot Force Six! Let's go!" Commander Hayate Yagami yelled.

* * *

**Al-Hazard, Genesis Warship Hangar**

"WHOA!" Al exclaimed as he stared at a massive warship in front of him. Vincent and Janus smiled proudly as they looked at their older brother.

"Big bro, meet the Astrala! She's a high-tech warship specially designed for aerial combat and land bombardment. This is a thousand times better than my old Armed Device!" Vincent grinned as he crunched his fist.

"Wait, you two made this?" Al asked.

"Of course not. Alicia and her team, the Silver Serpents, made it for us!" Janus said. Al was suddenly surprised when a short-haired Alicia, Linith and a large group of people walked towards them. They were wearing grey uniform with a serpent insignia on their left chest.

"Alicia? Why did you cut your hair short?" Al asked.

"I don't want people to get confused when me and my sister get together." Alicia smiled. "Besides, it's a bit hard to wear this uniform with really long hair."

"I see." Al nodded. Suddenly, Alicia, Linith, Vincent, Janus and the rest all gave Al a salute.

"This is the Astrala and we hereby place ourselves under the commission of the joint TSAB-EDEX alliance. What are your orders, Commander Alexander Lyoneid?" Alicia asked. The move surprised Al but he simply shook his head and placed his hands on his side.

"I thank you for your generosity..." Al smiled. "And from this day forward, the Astrala and its crew are now under commission of the TSAB-EDEX alliance. We will move out within five hours! Prepare the ship for disembarkation. Our course will be for Mid-Childa!"

"Yes sir!" the crew replied and they quickly dispersed. Alicia, however, walked towards Al together with three people.

"Commander, this is Reynald Stockton, our chief engineer and mechanic. He'll be in-charge of maintaining the ship's weapon systems along with our weapons as well. These fine women are Lara O'Hale and Jill Murdock; these two will be your communications officer." Alicia said.

"Nice to meet you Commander!" Reynald grinned.

"Hello sir!" the two girls said. Al nodded. "Alicia, I may be the Commander of the Astrala, but I want you to be in charge inside the warship."

"What?" Alicia gasped. "But you're a high-ranking EDEX official! You have to be the one in charge!" the blonde exclaimed. Al simply sighed as he patted Alicia's shoulder.

"Well from now on, I relinquish my status as Admiral of the Astrala and give it to you, Alicia Testarossa. Is that good now?" Al asked. Alicia stood there in shock while Reynald, Jill and Lara grinned.

"F...Fine." Alicia replied, blushing. "Only since you told me to..."

"Great!" Al grinned. The man then saw Prof. Justandt walking towards them.

"Professor, I once again wish to thank you for your help!" Al said as he grasped the old man's hand.

The old man smiled. "Think nothing of it , my boy. I am glad to be of help to all three of you."

"Are you going with us or are you staying here?" Al asked.

"I think I will need to remain here for some time Alexander." Prof. Justandt said. "The rest of the scientists will need someone who can lead them . Seeing as Alicia is going back to Mid-Childa, she'll be sorely missed."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that we can't come back here and-" Al said but the old man shook his head.

"Al, we are going to close off Al-Hazard once again." Prof. Justandt smiled. "It is...far too dangerous to let anyone learn the secret technologies that are abundant in this place. Alicia knows this, which is why she wants to go back, along with the sons and daughters of the scientists remaining here. This is a noble sacrifice which will prevent further men like Zealot from using the powers of science for evil purposes."

Al breathed hard. "I...I understand." he muttered.

"Don't look so sad, my boy. Enjoy your life. And promise me that you will stop the Tri-God for good, you hear?" Prof. Justandt grinned.

Al nodded while smiling. Suddenly, a loud siren was heard all over the hangar. "Everyone is requested to clear the hangar. The Astrala will now commence disembarkation for Mid-Childa!" the announcement rang.

"Well, I gotta go!" Al said as he quickly ran towards the warship. Prof. Justandt simply smiled as he slowly walked back inside.

* * *

**Inside the Astrala's cockpit...**

Alicia sat in the Admiral's panel while Janus sat in front of her. Jill and Lara were on Janus's sides when Vincent and Al walked in. "Wow.." Al said as he looked inside the cockpit. Vincent sat on an empty chair just near Janus while Al stood near Alicia.

"Janus, start the reactor engines. Maintain speed until the main hatch towards the unreachable space opens." Alicia said.

"You heard it, Baast. Work on it." Janus smiled as he held his hands on a small orb in front of him.

"Affirmative Master!" a female voice rang inside the cockpit. Al was stunned as he looked around. "What the? Baast is inside the Astrala?" he asked.

"Yes. Baast takes care of the ship's controls while Sekhmet manages the weapons." Janus replied. "Basically, I've trained several sessions before I could control those two without problems."

"Janus-kun has excellent mental capabilities and superior tactical skills that will really prove helpful during aerial combat control." Alicia said. The whole ship moved as Al felt the Astrala floating within the hangar. In front, the main hatch opened while the warship slowly moved forward.

"Main reactors online." Baast said within the cockpit.

"Central boosters OK." Jill said.

"Communications are ready to go!" Lara said next.

"Sekhmet, how's the weapon systems?" Janus asked.

"Weapons are all on-line and operational." a male voice replied. "Yeah, that's Sekhmet alright." Al said as he sat down opposite of Vincent and buckled his seat belt.

"Alright! Let's go!" Alicia said as the Astrala finally moved out from the hangar and flew into the unreachable space.

"Wait for me Fate! I'm coming!" Al thought.

**(To Be Continued...)**

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well, here we are! The stage has been set for the final battle. And Alicia's here too. I wonder if this will create problems for Al? In any case, stay tuned for the next update and thank you for the reviews everyone!  
**


	16. Part 15 Against All Odds

**Previously, on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha FATE...**

* * *

_"I...I still can't accept his death Mother..." Fate confessed. "Everytime I close my eyes, I remember his dying message. And...and I can't help thinking that it was I who killed him."_

* * *

_"J..Janus? Vincent?" Al stammered. "You guys are..alive?"_

* * *

_"Welcome to Genesis!" Linith said as she walked together with Al, Janus and Vincent. Al was stunned to see dozens of people working on all sorts of machineries within the complex. "Genesis means beginning, so you could say that this laboratory is the beginning of unlocking Al-Hazard's secret technologies for the betterment of mankind." the cat familiar said._

* * *

_"Your father was my hero. I was banished from my planet because my experiments were very dangerous. But Prof. Zecherov helped me improve and perfect my theories."_

* * *

_"It's as I have suspected!" Prof. Justandt shook his head. "With the whole commotion back then, the man known as Zealot must have escaped with a spaceship with the embryo of the Tri-GOD inside. The monster must have devoured the whole machine and has taken its form! Now we see the true form of the Tri-GOD as a cosmic warship!"_

* * *

**Part 15 - Against All Odds**

**On board the Astrala, 6 hours after launch from El Hazard...**

Alexander stood inside the ship's mini-hangar while looking at the crew, who were busy checking and preparing the mechanical eagle. His hands were crossed on his chest as a feeling of anxiety filled within him. "Can't sleep, Al-kun?" Linith suddenly appeared from behind him, smiling.

"Yeah." Al smiled. "I still can't believe that I'm alive Linith. My brothers are doing so well too. Everything's a miracle, you know?" Al said with a contented sigh.

Linith nodded. "Your father was indeed brilliant. He was always thinking ahead, worried of what will actually become of a future where the Tri-God continues to exist." She said while looking at the crew. "When he arrived in El Hazard, he worked tirelessly to build all of this because he believes in you Al-kun. And that is what drives Fate-chan to work tirelessly, despite the emotional hurt that she's suffering right now because of your supposed death..."

Al suddenly blushed when he heard of Fate's name. "Linith, how...how is she?" he asked bashfully.

Linith smiled. "Well, she's alright now. When I went back to Mid-Childa after bringing your bodies to Alicia-chan, she was inconsolable. She cried night after night until Grandeur-san decided to bring the fake bodies I made back to Earth for burial. If it weren't for Nanoha-chan and her friends, I don't know what would have happened." The cat-girl explained.

Astor sighed. "Damn... I made things worse for her, didn't I?" he groaned.

"No. Not at all." Linith replied. "Because for the first time, she finally felt the pains of true love. A love that surpasses time and emotions. That is the kind of love you feel for her, Al-kun."

Al blushed again. "I...I guess so. While I didn't know what it was back then, I guess I finally feel what it is to love. Maybe it's because I am finally free from the Confined Power that I can finally feel emotions, Linith." He replied.

"Then do what you have to do." Linith smiled as she patted Al's left shoulder. "I believe that it is you who can make Fate a happier person. And also, it's only you who can protect her! But this time, no more suicidal missions or heroic sacrifices, okay?" she giggled.

Al simply laughed. Just then, Alicia appeared together with Janus.

"Al-kun, we are now approaching Mid-Childa. What are your orders?" Alicia asked.

Astor looked at Linith and grinned.

"Prepare for our arrival in Mid-Childa. Today, we are going to kick the Tri-God's ass!" he yelled as the entire crew below him cheered.

* * *

**Mid-Childa. TSAB Command Base**

"Riot Force Six have been deployed. The STARS unit under Capt. Nanoha Takamachi are now engaging the enemy within Sector 27. LIGHTNING unit will now deploy in Sector 41!" one of the communicators announced inside the command room. Hayate Yagami and Reinforce worriedly looked at the monitor as hundreds of TSAB mages and EDEX soldiers valiantly defended Mid-Childa against the Warlocks.

"Commander Yagami? How are things looking?" Commander Charles Resolute entered the base along with Grandeur. Hayate was surprised to see the woman. "Grandeur-san! You shouldn't be here!" Hayate said.

Grandeur just smirked. "What do you mean? I'm here because I want payback for what Zealot did to my boys! So just leave the commanding to me. I know you want to be out there, helping your friends!" the woman grinned. Hayate smiled as she looked at Reinforce.

"What are you waiting for lass? Go!" Commander Resolute ordered.

"Thank you! C'mon Rein!" Hayate yelled as she ran off towards the exit together with her Unison Device. Grandeur smiled as she looked at everyone inside the base.

"Well? What the hell are you staring at me for? Let's get to work people! Double time!" Grandeur yelled with authority!

"YES MAAM!" everyone inside the base replied.

Sector 41, Mid-childa...

Fate and her group, which consisted of Signum, Caro and Erio, arrived within the battlegrounds. Caro was struck with horror as she saw how many TSAB mages and EDEX soldiers were hurt during the battle! "Erio! Caro! Help the wounded while Signum-san and I take care of the Warlocks!" Fate said as she pulled out Bardiche from her pocket.

"Right!" Erio and Caro yelled as they transformed into their Barrier Jackets. Signum had already transformed into her Knight Armor, since she sortied earlier. She looked at Fate as the Lightning squad captain looked at her Device.

"Harlaown-san?" Signum asked.

"Signum-san, I..." Fate muttered as she looked down at the ground with a depressed look.

Signum just patted her shoulders and nodded her head. "This is for Al-sama..." the Knight smiled.

Fate smiled as well. "Right!" she exclaimed as raised her arm while holding Bardiche!

"Bardiche!" she yelled. The device beeped and glowed red.

"Yes ma'am?" the Device answered with a female voice.

"Set up!" Fate yelled. A bright red light enveloped her body as she felt her Barrier Armor appear within her body. A few moments later, Fate appeared, wearing not her standard TSAB Barrier, but a crimson-red plate armor on her chest, her shoulders, her legs and arms. On her waist was a bright red skirt and a long, black cape was on her back. The blonde looked at her Device; it was still the same form, but instead of gold, most of the parts were now coloured red.

"A very powerful armor indeed, Fate-san." Signum said. Fate nodded as she felt something warm from within the armor. "This armor...represents Al-kun's feelings for me and everyone else." Fate said as Warlocks suddenly appeared in front of her and Signum. She held Bardiche tight as the Device instantly turned into its Zanber form.

"Let's show these Warlocks how we TSAB mages really fights, Signum-san!" Fate exclaimed.

"With pleasure!" Signum replied as the two dashed towards the monsters.

* * *

**Meanwhile, inside the Tri-God Warship...**

"Lord Zealot, it would seem that Project Fate has now come out and is fighting together with the TSAB..." a Warlock minion stood before Zealot. The man looked at the monitor while a big, white orb was pulsating behind him. The Warlock minion bowed down before Zealot as the man walked before the orb.

"Direct all attacks at Project Fate. Even with the Contained Power, she won't be able to handle it for too long. Professor Zecherov have made a minor miscalculation, thinking that it was already enough to destroy my master. Go and inform the other Warlocks to kill her at once!" Zealot growled.

"Yes master Zealot!" the Warlock minion replied. Zealot raised his hand towards the other Warlocks inside the ship. "Today, nothing will stop us from destroying Mid-Childa and Earth! Let us go and spread the word of the Tri-God's return!" he yelled.

"Hail the Tri-God!" the Warlocks replied in unison.

* * *

Within Sector 27, Nanoha and her STARS unit continued to defend the area while the EDEX soldiers continued supporting the TSAB mages in evacuating the wounded. Nanoha fired a powerful blast that crippled one of the large Warlocks in sight. "T...This is too much! There's too many of them!" Nanoha yelled. Teana fired several shots using her Device but more Warlocks appeared in front of her!

"Get the hell out of our way!" Subaru screamed as she slammed Mach Calibre Zero into the ground, creating a wave of lightning that obliterated the Warlocks in front of Teana! The sniper was surprised with the sudden increase of power that her partner was showing off. Vita pummeled a good number of Warlocks with her mighty hammer as well!

"Where are all these Warlocks coming from?!" Vita yelled. Subaru flew in the air and destroyed a couple more Warlocks just behind Vita.

"That was a good move Subaru!" Nanoha said. She flew up in the air and activated her Raising Heart in its Excellion form. "More Warlocks are incoming! Please watch out!" a voice was heard from her communicator.

"I understand Shari-chan." Nanoha replied. "How are things in Mid-Childa?"

"I've managed to contact Yuuno-san; he says that the evacuation is going on as planned!" Shari replied. Nanoha nodded as she looked at Subaru and Teana. More Warlocks appeared from the east while another dozen flying Warlocks appeared from the south.

"Damn it! There's no stopping them!" Teana yelled as she started firing again. Subaru didn't talk at all as she blindly rushed towards the Warlocks down on the ground!

"Subaru-chan! Wait!" Nanoha yelled as she flew towards Subaru.

"No, you idiot! Watch out!" Vita yelled when a group of four huge Warlocks suddenly surrounded her and Nanoha!

"WHAT?!" Nanoha yelled as she was caught in surprise.

"NANOHA-SAN!" Teana yelled as the Warlocks that surrounded Nanoha began to charge with the Magic Repelling Spell. Nanoha froze as Subaru and Teana helplessly looked at their captain when suddenly, an unknown beam blasted all four Warlocks to pieces! Nanoha covered her eyes as the dust cleared around her.

"What? Who?" Nanoha muttered.

"Well now! Looks like we arrived just in time!" a familiar voice rang from inside her communicator. Teana and Subaru's eyes both widened as Nanoha recognized that cheerful voice!

* * *

**Inside the TSAB Headquarters...**

"Hey! Old hag! You listening to me?" the cheery voice yelled again. Grandeur shook as she bowed her head, tears flowing from her eyes. Commander Resolute couldn't believe his ears either as the middle-aged woman slammed her fist on the table!

"**WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS BEEN, VINCENT?!**" Grandeur yelled! The monitor beeped and finally showed Vincent and Janus sitting inside what looked liked a cockpit.

"Geez, stop pretending to be angry, old bitch. I'm pretty sure you're happy to see us again!" Vincent grinned while Janus just smiled. Grandeur just cringed as she wept in joy. Suddenly, Shari rushed inside the command room without permission. When she saw Janus' face, her eyes widened with tears!

"Janus-kun! Y...You're alive!?" Shari muttered.

Janus just smiled. "I'll explain later. But for now, we have a battle to win." The boy explained.

Shari wiped away the tears from her eyes and nodded. "I know..." she smiled. Commander Resolute grunted as he walked near the bespectacled girl.

"Boys, the situation looks grim but I believe that you have found yourselves some new allies?" the commander asked. The monitor beeped once more and Linith appeared in front of them.

"This is Linith, vice-admiral of the warship Astrala. Preparing to enter Mid-childan airspace. Requesting permission to enter." Linith said. The door within the headquarters opened as Admiral Chrono Harlaown entered the office with a grim look.

"No need to ask for permission Linith. We need all the allies we can get!" the admiral replied.

"How's your mother and family Admiral Harlaown?" Commander Resolute asked.

"They're fine." Admiral Harlaown replied. Just then, Linith stood aside and Alicia Testarossa appeared in front of the camera, much to everyone's shock!

"Thank you Admiral Harlaown. We believe that you are still preparing your warships for deployment. I, Alicia Testarossa, Admiral of the warship Astrala, shall help defend Mid-childa at all costs." Alicia said.

Shari's eyes widened. "Alicia...Testarossa? Fate-chan's sister?! I thought she was-"

"I'll explain everything to you later." Commander Resolute smiled. "For now, the Astrala shall help in the defense of this city! All personnel are to assist Admiral Testarossa!"

"Yessir!" everyone replied with a salute.

* * *

**Inside the Astrala's hangar...**

"Vincent-sama, please check the manuals first before-"

"Don't bother with him. He's already mastered the controls." Janus said as he jumped inside the cockpit. Vincent wore the helmet on his head as the lights lit up around his own cockpit.

"Hullo Master Vincent! It's nice to see you again!" a voice said inside the cockpit.

"Hey Horus! Let's start this thing up and help Subaru and her friends." Vincent said.

"Baast, I am leaving you in charge of the Astrala's functions. Sekhmet and I are going into battle." Janus said as he started pushing buttons inside the cockpit.

"As you wish Master." Baast replied with a feminine robotic voice. The whole hangar lit up and revealed two vehicles inside the hangar. One was colored red while the other was blue. The crew stationed within the hangar all rushed to the side as the two vehicles lit up.

"Preparing for launch. VXZero-Anti Warlock Fighter "Horus 2" proceed to launch platform number 1. VXZero Anti Warlock Bomber "Sekhmet 2" proceed to launch platform number 2."

"Alright!" Vincent said as his aircraft moved unto a platform. Janus did the same with his red coloured aircraft. "Platform 1 and 2 are now open. Horus 2 and Sekhmet 2, you are clear for takeoff!" a voice announced.

"Here we go!" Janus yelled.

"Yeaaaahaawwwww!" Vincent roared as the two aircrafts flew in the air, leaving the Astrala behind them. Alicia and Linith looked at the two planes fly past them.

"Alright everyone! The three brothers are now fighting below us! We shall take care of the enemies in the sky! Open fire to all hostiles!" Alicia announced.

"Yes maam!" Linith and the rest of the crew replied.

* * *

Nanoha, Subaru and Teana looked at the skies as the Astrala appeared above them while firing at the Warlocks! "What in the world?" Nanoha muttered.

"Hey Captain Takamachi? Need a lift?" Vincent said as his aircraft flew past by Nanoha. The pony-tailed brunette gasped while Vincent stopped his fighter in mid-air and landed. Janus also did the same and landed beside his brother's spacecraft.

"N...No..." Nanoha muttered. "How can you be alive?!"

"Well...it's kind of a long story..." Vincent grinned. Suddenly, Subaru dashed forward and slammed her fist unto Vincent's face! The man was immediately thrown away, leaving Janus, Nanoha and Teana shaking in fear!

"You...YOU!" Subaru shook as tears slowly fell from her eyes. "How dare you come back! You should be killed for what you did! I mean, you can't just die and come back like nothing's happened! You big idiot!" the girl wailed as tears streamed from her eyes. Vincent just stood up and grinned.

"I know. I'm sorry Subaru." Vincent smiled. "I really am a big idiot."

"That you are." Teana sighed while Nanoha wiped a small tear from her eyes while Vita smiled.

Janus looked at the sky and saw more Warlocks coming out from the Tri-GOD warship.

"Seems like we're going to have to postpone our happy reunion for awhile." Janus said.

"I agree. Looks like we have enemies to defeat first." Nanoha nodded.

"Alright then. Teana and Subaru, you guy's come with me. Captain Takamachi and the little girl, you'll both go with Janus. We'll take them out both ways...on land and in the air!" Vincent grinned.

"Who's the little girl?!" Vita angrily yelled.

"Got it!" Nanoha nodded.

"Right!" Subaru and Teana replied. While Vincent, Teana and Subaru dashed towards the blue craft, Nanoha stopped as she looked towards the direction where Fate was fighting. Janus and Vita stopped as they looked at the captain in silence.

"I hope Fate-chan is alright..." Nanoha said.

"Don't worry. Big brother Al is on his way." Janus smiled.

Vita's eyes widened while a radiant yet surprised smile was on Nanoha's face.

* * *

Fate Harlaown panted as she held Bardiche Assault Nero in her hands while floating in the air. Her LIGHTNING unit has already defeated dozens of Warlocks and yet, more kept on coming! Signum stood beside her while Erio and Caro stood on Fried's back, exhausted as well. The Warlocks have finally surrounded them, both on land and on air.

"Erio-kun...Caro-chan..." Fate said. "Signum and I will distract the Warlocks. When that happens, I want you two to fly as fast as you can away from here!" Fate said.

"What?! No! We will never do that!" Erio angrily yelled.

"No way Fate-san! We will never abandon you!" Caro yelled too.

"This isn't a request! This is an order!" Fate yelled at them. "Please, I don't want anyone else to get hurt! Not after...not after what happened to-"

Signum suddenly looked to her right side. "Someone's approaching!" she said. The Warlocks seemed to have felt something too as they all looked as to where Signum was looking. Suddenly, a huge blast was heard as an unknown force was killing the Warlocks from afar!

"What the?" Erio said as the rest of the Warlocks dispersed to face the new attacker. This unknown attacker was riding a black motorcycle and was holding a sword on his right hand. The stranger rode and charged forward while slashing and destroying every Warlock who faced him!

"Wait a minute..." Fate suddenly thought as she stared at the mysterious attacker. As the biker drove his vehicle towards a huge Warlock, the motorbike transformed into a black wolf and rammed the monster with his strength! The driver stabbed the Warlock, destroying it within minutes!

"W...Whoa..." Erio said as the biker stood before them, wearig a helmet. He stuck his sword on the ground and took off the helmet. When he finally revealed his face, the LIGHTNING unit members had a really shocked expression on their faces. However, tears began streaming from Fate's eyes as Al walked in front of her with a smile on his face.

"Sorry for being late." Al said. "Did I miss anything?"

"Y...You..." Fate stammered as she began to shake uncontrollably. Caro was also crying as Erio placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Al didn't say anything while Signum signalled Erio and Caro to walk away from the two in order to give them their privacy.

"Uhhh...Fate?" Al asked. Without warning, Fate just dropped Bardiche Assault Nero and instantly hugged him, the blonde girl burying her face into his chest tightly. Erio and Caro both blushed while Signum just gave a smile.

"You idiot! You big idiot!" Fate sniffled. "Where the hell have you been?!"

Al just sighed as he embraced Fate as well. "Sorry. I had to take a little detour..." He replied gently.

"Silence!" Fate yelled as she hugged Al even tighter. "You don't...have the right to speak to me! I hate you! How dare you show your face again!" the girl wailed. Al sighed deeply while caressing Fate's back.

"I'm sorry. What I did...was unforgivable. But we'll talk about that later. Looks like the Warlocks can't wait." Al grinned. Fate slowly got off from him as she opened her hands. Bardiche Assault Nero swiftly flew towards her hand.

"I understand. But when we get back to the base, we are going to have a long talk." Fate smiled.

Al chuckled. "I don't think I'm the only one whom you'd want to talk with." The man grinned. The Warlocks snarled as they surrounded Al and Fate. Suddenly, a rain of beam attacks struck the surrounding Warlocks! The two looked at the sky and saw Hayate Yagami fused with Reinforce Zwei.

"Nice timing Commander!" Al smiled. Hayate flew down and immediately slapped Al as soon as she was near him, which shocked Fate and the others!

"How dare you worry Fate-chan and all of us!" Hayate sniffled. "Don't you know the pain you and your brothers caused when you three died? " the brunette cried.

Fate and Al just smiled. "There, there Hayate-chan." Fate consoled Hayate. "We shall think of a good punishment for the three brothers later. But for now, we have to secure this area." She explained.

"I'll take care of that." Al said. "Erio and Caro, you three will go together with Anubis. Defend the city center from any invading Warlocks!"

"Righto Master!" Anubis said. The cyborg wolf turned towards Erio and Caro. "You kids hop on my back! I'm sure Friedrich is tired from all that battle!"

"Ah, yes!" Caro happily said as she and Erio rode behind the wolf. As the three rode away, Al suddenly placed a hand on his mouth and gave a loud whistle. A few seconds later, a mighty squeal was heard from above the sky. Fate, Hayate and Signum were shocked to see a mechanical eagle swoop down from the sky, only to gracefully land in front of them!

"Al-kun! Do you read me?" Linith suddenly called from Al's communicator.

"Yeah Linith. What's up?" Al replied.

"A large swarm of Warlocks is approaching your area. I've sent the Sword Eagle to assist you." Linith replied.

"Understood. However, change the controls of the Sword Eagle over to Signum." Al said.

"What?" Signum said.

"Ok. Affirmative. Sword Eagle control is now with Signum." Linith replied.

"How's the surprise going?" Al asked as he looked at Hayate.

"Ready to upload now. Please tell Commander Hayate to separate from Reinforce Zwei!" Linith replied as she rapidly pressed buttons inside the Astrala. Hayate complied as she separated from the Unison with Reinforce. Suddenly, a bright light shone within Hayate's chest!

"W...What?!" Hayate said as she went back to her normal military uniform.

"Sorry, but you had to transform again for the upgrade to work." Al explained. "Just try it out."

"Alright." Hayate replied as she closed her eyes. After transforming, Fate and Signum were shocked to see Hayate clad in a golden version of her Knight Armor! Her Device was gold in colour but the cross symbol was now bigger and the end of the staff had a sharp end that looked like a spear!

"Wow Mistress! You look...great!" Reinforce Zwei squealed.

"Looks like the upgrade worked." Al said. "You see, Janus secretly accessed the files regarding your Linker Core. When we got sent to Al Hazard after our supposed deaths, he found a way to unlock your full potential without destroying your Limiters."

Hayate looked at her device and smiled. "You and your brothers are really sneaky. However, I am really grateful for the help."

"No problem." Al replied. "Alright! Looks like we're all set! Let's show these Warlock bastards not to mess with both Earth and Mid-childa!"

"YEAH!" Hayate and Fate yelled as the two flew in the sky. Signum looked at the two women fly and looked at Alexander with a hint of hesitation.

"Al-sama, is it really alright for me to use the Sword Eagle?" she asked.

"Of course!" Al replied. "I can't think of anyone else using the Sword Eagle."

Signum nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you Al-sama. It is...wonderful that you are indeed alive and well. " the pink haired Belkan knight commented. Sword Eagle knelt down as if it was asking her to ride on her back.

"Let's go, Sword Eagle!" Signum yelled as the cyborg bird shrieked in reply. Signum immediately jumped behind the eagle and flew in the air!

"Alright then! As for the ones on the ground..." Al said as he tightened his grip on his sword. The Warlocks on the ground cornered him, looking at him in anger.

" Come at me, you bastards!" Al said as the Warlocks rushed towards him.

* * *

The battlefield lit with beam blasts and explosions as Nanoha, riding behind Janus's aircraft, fired multiple powerful shots against the flying Warlocks! Vita took care of the Warlocks that tried to attack Nanoha. Subaru and Teana did the same while riding on Vincent's air fighter.

"Alright! Looks like we're pushing them back!" Vincent yelled.

"Not yet!" Nanoha replied as a huge warship appeared from above. It was the Tri-God warship, releasing hundreds of flying Warlocks again!

"Damn this! Isn't there a way to stop these Warlocks in one blow?" Vita complained. Nanoha, Subaru and Teana looked in the air as the flying Warlocks began swooping down towards them. Suddenly, Hayate, Fate and Signum appeared from behind them, destroying the approaching Warlocks with their attacks!

"Go Sword Eagle! Annihilate them!" Signum yelled as she jumped off from the cyborg eagle. Sword Eagle gave a mighty shriek as it mutilated the flying Warlocks in the air with the use of its razor-sharp wings!

"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Vita yelled as Signum floated beside her.

"It's a small gift from Al-sama." Signum replied. Vita frowned. "No fair! I want one too!" the girl yelled. Fate and Hayate flew towards Nanoha while the brunette's eyes widened when she saw her two friends.

"Fate-chan! Hayate-chan! Your Barrier Forms-" Nanoha said in surprise.

"Yeah. The Sealed Power works perfectly." Fate smiled radiantly. Teana and Subaru noticed the complete change in the blonde Captain's smile. They slowly approached Signum.

"Hey, did Capt. Harlaown meet already with Capt. Lyoneid?" Subaru asked.

Signum smiled. "Yes. Harlaown-san is back to her usual self. And I see that Janus-san and Vincent-san are alive as well." The knight replied.

"Hmm, I see. So Janus-kun managed to get your Linker Core unlocked without destroying your Limiter." Nanoha nodded. "But it's kinda unfair that only you two get the good stuff!"

"No worries Capt. Takamachi. I have something for you as well!" Janus replied. A bright glow appeared before Nanoha. Within the glow was a small orange orb.

"Use this and it will unlock the true form of Raising Heart! The Devil's Armament!" Janus said.

"D...Devil's Armament?!" Subaru and Teana shuddered. Nanoha grasped the orb and smiled. "Thank you Janus-kun! You're the best!" the brunette replied.

"Heeyyy!" Caro yelled as she and Erio arrived below all of them while riding Friedrich. Al followed closely behind them, riding on Anubis in its motorbike form. Janus and Vincent landed on the ground together with the rest of the girls.

"Captain Lyoneid!" Teana exclaimed happily.

"Captain!" Subaru was about to cry again when Vita slapped her butt.

"Stop crying you!" Vita grumbled while Nanoha and the rest laughed. Al just sighed as he looked at them. "The Astrala will be here to pick us off. Linith told me that the Tri-God's movements stopped and it went out of Mid-childan airspace a few seconds ago. However, we will pursue the Tri-God a few hours from now. We'll use this time to rest for the final battle." Al said to all of them.

"And some good food too! I'm starving!" Vincent grinned.

"Yep. I'm starving too!" Subaru groaned. Teana rolled her eyes. "Gosh, you two really do make a good couple!" she quipped, earning a blush from Subaru. Vincent just looked at Teana blankly.

"Al-kun! We're here!" Linith suddenly called out from the communicator. Al looked in the sky as the Astrala slowly flew down on the ground to land. Al walked towards Fate and held her hand.

"A...Al-kun?!" Fate whispered.

"There's someone you have to meet." Al said as he pulled Fate towards the Astrala. The two stood before the entrance platform of the warship. When the door finally opened a few minutes later, Fate's eyes widened when she saw Alicia and Linith walk out from the door!

"Hello...sister..." Alicia smiled.

"Y...You're..." Fate stammered. Linith smiled as she pushed Alicia towards her sister. Alicia bowed her head while Fate just looked at her in disbelief.

"I...I'm sorry..." Alicia stammered, tears dropping from her eyes. "Because of me, Mother did all those things to you. I'm so sorry for what Mother did in the past!" she cried. Fate immediately hugged the short haired blong girl.

"Please don't say that! It's not your fault!" Fate said as she consoled her twin. Alicia simply bawled out crying in Fate's arms. Al crossed his arms while Nanoha, Hayate, and the rest of the Riot Force Six watched at their happy reunion.

* * *

**TSAB Temporary Headquarters and Relief Station, Mid-childa**

"The Tri-God Warship have been spotted just within the atmosphere. It doesn't seem to be moving at all. It's just floating in space." Janus said as he accessed the communications mainframe inside the headquarters. Behind him was Cmdr. Resolute, Admiral Harlaown, and Grandeur. Al, Hayate and Nanoha were there as well, together with Signum and Vita.

"It seems like Zealot needed some time to raise another army." Al said.

"It could be. Welcome back anyway." Chrono smirked. "Don't expect a medal for all of this though. It is your fault as to why things like this happened. You weren't here to lead Riot Force Six when you were needed the most."

Al just grunted. "You try dying for once!" he replied.

"In any case, the Astrala will lead the attack againt the Tri-God Warship. Commander Hayate will lead as Admiral, with Alicia Testarossa as the Vice Admiral. Al, Nanoha and Fate will lead the assault force inside the warship." Commander Resolute said.

"Sounds fine by me." Grandeur replied. "How's Fate doing?"

"She's inside her room, talking with Alicia-chan." Nanoha replied. "After years of not being together, those two deserve some time to talk together."

"Agreed." Commander Resolute nodded.

"So Charles. You knew about Alicia and Al Hazard?" Grandeur asked. "Why didn't you tell me and the boys?"

The old commander sighed. "If I did, Al Hazard would be placed under scrutiny. People would want to go there and get their hands on forbidden technology."

"That does kind of make sense." Grandeur nodded. Then, Alicia and Fate appeared together with Linith behind the two girls. Each had a vibrant smile on their face.

"So, how was the reunion?" Grandeur asked.

"Well..." Fate smiled at Alicia. "It seems Alicia-nee does have different traits from mine." She smiled.

Alicia just shook her head. "Of course! Although you are my twin, we both have different personalities. By the way, Capt. Lyoneid, my sister wants you to accompany her in a tour inside the Astrala. Could you please escort her? Make sure that's she's safe and properly introduced to the crew?" Alicia asked.

Al just nodded. "Of course." He replied as he walked away from the group together with Fate.

Linith suddenly winked at Alicia. "Well then, let's give them the time they need." Alicia smiled.

* * *

After a few minutes of touring and introducing Fate to the crew of the Astrala, the two are seen inside the cockpit of the warship. Fate was fidgeting as she looked at Al. The man noticed this.

"Fate? Is something wrong?" Al asked.

"Huh? No! Nothing's wrong!" Fate replied with a blush.

Al just sighed as he sat down on a chair. "C'mon, spit it out Fate. I know you. You don't like keeping secrets." He chuckled. Fate nodded as she sat down in front of Al. She looked at her hands and then looked at Al again.

"I...I remembered the words you said...during that terrible time..." Fate said softly.

Al paused as a blush covered his cheeks. "Oh." He replied. "Well, it's fine Fate. My feelings aren't exactly important during times like these." He casually said.

"Maybe not for you. But for me, it is." Fate replied, her heart skipping a beat. "You...you sacrificed a lot for my own happiness. But...I... I haven't done anything to make your sacrifices worth it..."

"Huh?" Al gasped. "No Fate, you're wrong! You're fighting out there to protect both the Eart h and Mid-Childa! I believe all those sacrifices I did was indeed worth it because right now, you are able to defend all of us from a terrible evil." The man explained.

"But that does not erase the fact...that you died because of this power." Fate said as she bowed her head. "You had to carry this burden for so many years. All of your good memories, your feelings..."

"Those can be replaced." Al replied. "Everything I did in the past is something I chose for myself."

"Then I want to change that!" Fate said as she stood up as she looked at Al with angry eyes!

"Fate?" Al asked.

"If...if you do truly love me...then don't die!" Fate stammered, her cheeks burning brightly red.

Al laughed. "Fate, you're talking as if I'm going to-" he was cut off as Fate instantly gave him a tight embrace! Al was indeed shocked but he managed to stand still while the blonde captain pressed her face unto his chest.

"To be honest, I am still confused with the things you said, Al-kun. I know it's different from the love I feel from Nanoha, Hayate, from my mother and everyone else here in Mid-childa. I'm sorry, but I can't give you an honest reply yet, but I do know one thing..." Fate said as she looked at Al with eyes full of care. She slowly lifted her hands and cupped his cheeks.

" I don't want you to die! I never want to see you leave me again! Don't die Alexander Lyoneid! Don't you dare die!" Fate exclaimed.

Al just sighed as he patted her head. "I understand Fate. I won't die. I swear. I will always be here to protect you." he softly replied. Fate slowly pushed herself away from Al as she slowly looked at him.

"Well, shall we go back to the meeting room? I believe they're waiting for us..." Al smiled.

Fate nodded. "Ok, that's a good idea." She replied. She looked at Al's back as the man started walking towards the cockpit's exit. Suddenly, she grabbed Al's jacket from behind.

"Hmm? What's wrong Fa-" Al gasped as Fate pulled him into a kiss.

* * *

**TSAB MAIN COMMAND OFFICE**

"WHOOOAAAAH!" Vincent yelled as the monitor screen showed Al and Fate kissing inside the cockpit! Everyone inside the office were astonished, while Caro, Subaru and Teana were blushing brightly red!

"Well now, looks like they finally did it." Hayate grinned.

Nanoha giggled. "Isn't it about time for them to be more honest with each other?" she quipped.

"Indeed." Signum nodded. "A woman's heart is stronger than steel."

"Sheesh, why did you have to do all this? Don't you think your sister will get mad at'cha?" Vita asked Alicia, who was looking at the whole scene too.

"Well, you guys won't tell her anyway, right?" Alicia winked at Nanoha and Hayate. The three girls smiled at each other, earning a shudder from Subaru and Teana.

"Eek, they're scary." The two girls said.

* * *

**Meanwhile, back in the Astrala's cockpit...**

Fate slowly pulled away from Al after the kiss. Alexander was blushing red while panting softly. Fate looked the other way, obviously embarassed with her impulsive action.

"I thought you were still confused about your feelings?" Al asked.

"Yes. But...the urge to do it...forced me to do such a thing." Fate blushed.

Al chuckled. "Well, I also feel the urge to do this." He grinned as he grabbed Fate and kissed her again. Fate's eyes widened as it was a little intense than the peck she initiated a few moments before. However, she gave in and kissed him back.

"Ummm, I hate to break your lovey-dovey time, but we've detected the Tri-GOD Warship." Admiral Chrono Harlaown suddenly appeared on the monitors within the cockpit. Fate and Al quickly moved away from each other while facing the admiral.

"Well, Admiral. You're bad on timing, as ever!" Alexander gave a fake smile.

"Why thank you Capt. Lyoneid. Or should I say Lieautenant. But no, my sister obviously loves you, that's why I'll forget the image I saw earlier. And you should also know that everyone here saw what you two were doing." Chrono grinned.

"W...What?!" Fate exclaimed loudly. "Awwww, it...it's so embarassing!"

"Vincent! Were you the bastard who did all this?!" Alexander yelled.

Vincent suddenly appeared on the monitor. "Hey, hey! Don't blame me! I was just following someone else's orders!" he yelled.

"In any case..." Admiral Harlaown cleared his throat. "The Tri-God Warship is moving again back to Mid-Childa. Before that monstrosity causes more damage to Mid-Childa, you guys are intercepting it in space. We'll move out in three hours."

"Got it." Al nodded. "This is it, Fate. We finally settle everything today. Are you ready?"

Fate smiled. "Yes. Let's end this today, Al-kun!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**(Author's Notes: I apologize for the very long update; I have had a lot of stuff to do that involves my work and moving to my own place. It's so hard to keep everything organized. In any case, only two more chapters to go before the FATE series ends. Thanks to everyone who commented, especially to rosidkeren. It's flattering to read your comments. Thanks everyone!)**


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